


Medal Of Honor

by khazrn43



Category: Glee Finchel
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Danger, Drama, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Hurt, Other, Romance, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-09 03:55:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8874757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khazrn43/pseuds/khazrn43
Summary: Rachel's grandfather, James Berry, Ret. General US Marine Corp, comes to Lima for a Medal of Honor ceremony for his actions in Desert Storm. He lays down the law regarding bullying his granddaughter, all the while his co-conspirators and he are plotting to reunite Finchel He is tied to more than one of our band misfits.





	1. General Berry

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Medal of Honor](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/248611) by ddh1973. 



> I do not own Glee or it's Characters  
> I took this work over from ddh1973 originally posted on Fanfiction.net

Hey readers, Hope everyone is doing great. Here is a psuedo-new story. I have adopted another story from ddh1973. Originally posted January 2011 and Last updated January 2014.

_**MEDAL OF HONOR**_ : Rachel's grandfather, James Berry, Ret. General US Marine Corp, comes to Lima for a Medal of Honor ceremony for his actions in Desert Storm. He lays down the law regarding bullying his granddaughter, all the while his co-conspirators and he are plotting to reunite Finchel He is tied to more than one of our band misfits.

* * *

Chapter 1

Three months had passed since Sectionals and Rachel was sitting in the choir room beside Mercedes, with whom she had struck up a friendship with. Kurt had brought them together and the three of them had become inseparable, well as much as they could with Kurt two hours away at Dalton Academy.

It was everything she could do not to stare longingly at Finn, who was sitting with Quinn, holding her hand the way they used to. It had hurt so much when the news of him renewing his relationship with ex had reached her. The knowledge that he could forgive Quinn for having sex with Puck because she felt fat and was drunk, while she had only kissed Puck in a moment of stupidity caused by Santana's taunts in the hallway broke her heart. Sometimes it was everything she could do not to march over to him, slap his face and call him a hypocrite. It was only her friendship with Mercedes that kept her from completely losing it.

A noise at the door caused everybody to look up at it and Mr. Schuester to stop speaking about this week's assignment to see a handsome six foot tall African American male in his mid-sixties, wearing the uniform of a General in the Marine Corp, stepping into the room. He glanced around the room until a brilliant smile came across his handsome face as Rachel jumped up out of her chair and rushed to his now open arms.

"Grandpa," Rachel exclaimed joyfully as she hugged him tightly.

There were tears and laughter coming from them both as grandfather and granddaughter talked to each other and ignored everybody else in the room. Her teammates and teacher watched in awe as Rachel and her grandfather had their reunion.

Finn couldn't stop staring at her as he noticed that the traces of sadness his ex-girlfriend had been carrying around with her was now gone. He could feel Quinn stiffen beside him and her gaze burned into his skin but he didn't care. The only reason he had agreed to jumpd into a relationship with her again was to hurt Rachel after her duet with Puck before the championship game for the football team a month and a half ago. He still couldn't listen to Lady Antebellum's 'Need You Now', without wanting to throw something in anger or beat the hell out of her former best friend.

"Huh, who would thought the dwarf tranny actually has a family member that loves her. I thought they hated her as much as the rest of us do," Santana said, hatefully. She didn't realize what a mistake that was until it was way too late to save her.

Rachel pulled away from her grandfather a look of raw pain in her dark eyes as she turned to face Santana. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, her grandfather stepped away from her and marched over to where Mr. Schuester was standing by the piano, not saying a word to reprimand Santana.

Finn bristled at Santana's word he began to speak "Shut..." But was cut off when Quinn dug her nails into his hand and Rachel's granddad bellowing to Mr. Shue.

"Son, are you the teacher of this classroom?"

Will stood up straight, instantly intimidated by the presence of the man standing before him. .

"You are useless! What's your name?"

"W...Will...William S...Schuester, sir.

"James Berry retired General of the United States Marine Corp. If you can't enforce some discipline then let me show you how it's done, young man." He started to stammer and stutter as the man then gave him a look of pure disgust before waking over to face Santana, who was sitting in her usual spot in the back row.

James stormed over to face the seat where Santana was sitting in the back row. His face was set in a stern manner that made Santana's classmates actually feel sorry for what was about to happen. "Young lady, what's your name?" His stance was one he had used over the years when addressing his troops and even bitchy Santana Lopez wasn't immune to it.

"S…San…Santana L…Lopez."

"Oh, I've heard of you," James stated, his voice dripping in disdain. "Carlos and Marcela's daughter, the one who can't tell the boys no and sleeps with everybody in town. The one who caused my granddaughter to lose her boyfriend by taunting her to the point she gave into a moment of pure idiocy that caused him to break up with her."

A look of shock and shame came over Santana's face at General Berry's words. She could feel Finn glaring at her after he had realized that it had been her who had pushed Rachel into Puck's arms.

"I wonder what your parent's would say if I informed them of what you just said about my granddaughter in front of me. They know my reputation and would believe every word I told them" Icy anger came into his dark eyes as he continued his lecture, pointing over at Rachel, who was being comforted by Mercedes at the door. "I'll have you know, that child is a little girl because I changed her diapers when she was a baby. I also don't know where you get off putting my grandchild down when it is fairly obvious that you have had some work done to your chest. I don't know what Carlos was thinking but if his father, your grandfather, was here and seen how you were acting, Hector would be very disappointed in your behavior. If Rachel acted like that, she would be in so much trouble with me but my angel girl knows I don't tolerate disrespect and you are a rude, disrespectful disgrace."

James marched back over to Rachel, smiled gently at Mercedes and held his sobbing granddaughter in his arms. He glared at everybody in the room before leading Rachel out, cradling her to his chest.

* * *

It was now after school and Finn was leaving, trying to avoid Quinn and the other members of New Directions. Anger filled him as he thought about what General Berry had said about Santana taunting Rachel to make her do what she did with Puck; so he had talked to his former best friend, who had told him about the incident in the hallway where Santana had walked past him and was flirting. He had glanced at her but hadn't thought much about it and to know that Rachel had seen it and that Lopez had taunted her as she went by her, telling her some bullshit about taking her to dinner after having sex with her, leaving his self-conscious then girlfriend vulnerable to Puck and his games. It pissed him off to know that other people had been so bored with their own miserable lives that they had taken pleasure in destroying him and Rachel.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the voice of James Berry carried over to him, calling his name. The man didn't sound happy and right now, Finn didn't blame him. After hearing the whole story about how Rachel had actually ended up kissing Puck, he was pissed off.

Finn stopped and turned to face the man walking up to him. He might have been taller but the older man was scary and looked ready to kill him.

"You and I need to talk; my son's house, six thirty. Be there or I inform your mother that you ignored the request of the man who held your father as he lay dying in the desert. Am I understood?"

Finn gaped at Mr. Berry before slowly nodding his head to say yes.

"Don't nod at me, boy. I don't respond to nods, use the voice God gave you."

"Yes sir."

"Good. Rachel is going out with your step brother and their friend Mercedes so she won't be there and my son and his partner are going out of town on business, so there will be no one else there to interrupt our conversation."

James Berry stalked off, marching down the hall as Finn shook in fear at the meeting that was to come. His night was going to be pure hell.


	2. Partial Revelation

_**CHAPTER 2** _

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or it Characters. James, Marine, Nathan and Camilla are the creation of ddh1973** _

_To the guest reviewer, General Berry has spent the last 14 years hearing his angel girl tell him how bad she was bullied. So when he sees it he will take care of it because he is a Marine and a grandfather. I'm sorry you think what was said to Santana was mean, but why does she always get a pass? She doesn't bully or embarrass RAchel in private. She doesn't deserve respect because she doesn't know how to give respect. Thanks and Keep on Reading_

_**Honor the Tether! Remember the Drummer!** _

* * *

James had just turned away from Finn and was walking down the hall to where Rachel was waiting for him at her locker. His angel girl was getting a ride home from him because Hiram and Leroy had already left for a trip to Washington DC where they were going to spend the weekend and wait for the rest of the family to arrive. It wasn't everyday a man received the Medal of Honor, even if it was forty years after the event that it was for, well and another twenty for the second event.

Rachel's car, a classic 65 mustang he had rebuilt from the frame up, needed some work done to it and he wasn't going to let her drive it until it was fixed. That was the only reason he was taking her home.

He was stopped in his tracks by the sight of two huge teenage boys standing in front of his Rachel with two cups in each of their hands, getting ready to toss their contents in her face. They were both tall and big around the middle and wearing Letterman's jackets. One was white, the other was black and they both had the same viscous smirks on their faces.

In a swift move that showed just how well he kept up with training, James walked up and put a hand each of the boy's neck at a pressure point and gently pressed down. The cups in their hands instantly hit the floor and the both of them dropped to their knees, crying out in pain.

"Names, now," James firmly ordered.

"David Karofsky." His voice was full of pain at the pressure being put on his neck.

"Azimio Adams."

"Well, David, Azimio, this is your warning. If I get word that even one of those slushies you and your fellow classmates like to throw at my granddaughter and her fellow glee club members, I will have a conversation with both of your fathers. Then you will get to experience the same boot camp I put my soldiers through in Vietnam and during Desert Storm." James' voice was clam but had a menace to it. "Do I make myself clear or do you boys want to test me? Better men than you have tried it and failed. Picking on the Glee Club is over."

He released them and walked around the puddle of grape slushies that was lying on the floor next to Rachel. The second James had grabbed both boys she had ran over to where her fellow Glee club members were standing, including Finn who had heard the commotion and came back. James saw him there and turned to face him, a stern look on his face.

"Hudson, take me daughter home and stay with her until I get there." His voice ordered like he would give one of his soldiers before James turned and walked towards Mr. Figgins office.

Rachel gave Mercedes a pleading look, who returned it with one of sympathy before she walked over to where Finn was having a quiet conversation with Quinn, who wasn't angry the way Rachel thought she would be.

"Come on, Rach," he said to her. "I'll call you later, Quinn." Quinn didn't protest.

* * *

Finn and Rachel walked down the hall, leaving their fellow New Directions behind. They all noticed the tension between them and gave each other apprehensive looks before walking to their own cars. Left standing in the hall were Quinn, Sam and Puck.

Puck turned to Quinn, who had a look of indifference on her face. He had noticed over the past two weeks since she and Finn had renewed their relationship that they never looked at each other like boyfriend and girlfriend. It was more like how best friends regarded each other. Something was going on with them and he was going to find out what it was, even if he had to be an ass about it. Finn had been too quick to give into Mr. Berry's request to take Rachel home.

"You really don't care that your boyfriend has just walked down the hall with his ex and is planning on staying with her until her grandfather gets back, do you? What the hell is going on with you?"

"Nothing," Her voice was flat as she looked up at him.

"What is going on with you and Finn? You would be having a complete shit fit over Finn walking off with Rachel if something like this had happened the first time the two of you were together. You have only been back together since Valentine's Day, that was two weeks ago and you are letting him walk off with Rachel. Something is wrong with you and I'm not backing off until I found out what it is."

"Leave her alone, man." Sam stepped over to where they were at, irritated at Puck for being confrontational with Quinn. "She just watched Rachel's grandfather order him to take Rachel home after Karofsky and Azimio almost hit her with four slushies. He was just doing what he was asked to do."

"Are you stupid, or something? You weren't here when Quinn and Finn were a couple last year. She went ballistic when Finn started showing any attention to Rachel and now he is showing some kind of interest in her again and Quinn is acting all calm about it. There is something going on here, Quinn. I'm going to find out what it is, trust me."

Puck stalked off leaving Sam and Quinn alone in the hallway. He reached out to touch his ex-girlfriend on the shoulder to comfort her and she stepped back before it could happen, a hurt and devastated look on her face. She rushed down the hall towards the parking lot, leaving Sam to believe that she was more upset about Finn and Rachel then she had let on.

* * *

Finn parked his truck in front of Rachel's house and looked over at Rachel, who hadn't said a word since they had left the school. She was withdrawn and didn't seem to want to talk to him. She had been this way towards him for the past two weeks after he got back together with Quinn. Part of him wished he could tell her the truth of why he had reconciled with and forgiven his ex-girlfriend when he had been unable to do the same thing with her.

"You can wait downstairs in the living room for my grandfather to arrive. I'm sure you remember where the remote is, I will be in my room getting ready for Kurt to pick me up," she said to him before getting out of the truck and walking up to the house. He quickly followed her and stepped inside the house, closing the door behind him as she rushed up the stairs.

He walked into the living room and tried to watch a movie for about thirty minutes but all he could think about was Rachel. How hurt she had been the past two weeks and the only thing that had brought any semblance of a smile to her face had been her friendship with Mercedes and Kurt as well as her grandfather's arrival. It was only the sound of Rachel crying from her bedroom that made him get up from the couch and walk up the stairs to her room.

"Rachel?"

"Leave me alone, Finn." Her voice was full of pain and it broke him to hear it.

"Let me in. We need to talk about this."

"No, we don't. You said all you needed to say every time you smile at her, or you press your lips to hers. Message received Finn. Leave me alone."

"Rach, it isn't what you think it is. Quinn and I..."

Before he could finish what he was about to say, the front door opened and James' voice drifted up the stairs.

"Finn, Rachel, I'm back."

Finn walked back downstairs, knowing that Rachel wouldn't want her grandfather to overhear the conversation that they needed to have. There was something she needed to know about his 'relationship' with Quinn.

"Where's Rachel, son?" James asked from his seat in the living room.

"She went to her room as soon as we got here and has been there ever since."

Before James could respond, Rachel came rushing down the stairs wearing a new outfit having changed out of the one she had worn to school. It was a pair of jeans, a black cashmere sweater and a pair of leather boots. Finn's breath hitched as she glided down the stairs. She still was the most beautiful girl in the world.

She went over, gave her grandfather a kiss on the cheek. "Mercedes is outside waiting on me. We are going to meet Kurt and Blaine for dinner and to see a movie."

"Be home at eleven, angel girl."

"Yes sir."

Rachel gave her grandfather a hug before leaving the house without even looking at Finn. James gave him a stern look before starting to speak.

"Do you want to explain to me how you and my granddaughter went from being so in love this summer to you dating your ex again and Rachel treating you the way she did just now?"

"General..."

"I'm not telling you a thing about your dad until I hear the full story of why you and my angel girl broke up. Now start talking."

Finn sat there and told James the entire story from when he first joined Glee club until his supposed reconciliation with Quinn. By the time he was finished speaking James had a strange mix of anger and shock on his face.

"Are you trying to tell me that you broke up with my Rachel for kissing your former best friend who got the girl that everybody thinks you are dating again pregnant and you are guilty of the same thing? You cheated on Quinn with Rachel and lied to my granddaughter to get her come back to the Glee club. Then you accept a date with the two biggest tramps in your school before dumping Rachel to find your inner rock star. Then you are a coward and let that brat treat my angel girl like crap and that Mr. Schuester fellow to scream in her face. Finn, my boy, you are a hypocrite and a coward. I don't think your dad, may he rest in peace, would be very proud of you right now. Every Hudson I ever met was a leader. Stood up for those they loved. Never would have let their pride rule their life."

Sadness came into Finn's eyes at the thought of disappointed the dad he had never known. He thought about General Berry's words and realized that Rachel hadn't been the only one who had been wrong in that entire situation. He had contributed to events that led to their breakup just as much as she had. They had both been to blame for what had gone wrong.

"What was my dad like, Sir?" Finn asked quietly.

"Christopher Hudson was the most courageous man I have ever had serve under me. He faced any challenge head on and didn't care if it made him unpopular with the rest of his unit. He stood up for what he thought was right, no matter what the personal cost. He was also the most forgiving and least judgmental person I have ever had to pleasure of meeting. Now he wasn't a pushover but he didn't hold a grudge and was willing to work things out with whoever had hurt him. He told me he had to learn that lesson the hard way with your momma when he almost lost her because of wounded pride and anger and a vicious teenage tramp that caused pain and misery just for the sheer hell of doing it."

"My dad and mom had the same type of problem Rachel and I do?"

"You'll have to ask your momma to tell you the story but yes. He told me about it one night when I was telling him about my Camilla, may she rest in peace."

"General Berry, I have gotten myself into a situation with Quinn and I agreed to help her because she's my friend but now I am having second thoughts. And risking my safety, I may have wanted Rachel to feel the way she made me feel."

"Well, then I guess you are both a little mean. What's the situation and maybe I can help you out?"

"Quinn has not had it very easy since the birth of her daughter and giving her up for adoption. She pushed herself back into Cheerleading to try to get her old life back. She pushed the father of her child, Puck away and started to date Sam, my backup quarterback. A month ago, Puck decided that he wanted Quinn back and both he and Sam started to fight over her. Quinn freaked out and broke up with Sam. I was trying to get over Rachel and not succeeding very well when Quinn came up to me with a proposition."

"What was this proposition of Quinn's?"

"She wanted us to make everybody think we were dating again so she could get some peace and quiet from Sam and Puck while Rachel would back off from trying to win me back. How was I supposed to forgive her and have the space I needed if she wouldn't back off? Now Rachel thinks I am dating Quinn again and won't give me a chance to explain that I mainly agreed to this to help Quinn. She is falling apart over giving up her baby and her feelings for Puck, and he and Sam aren't helping. She is about to go crazy. My mom would kill me if she knew the truth and given her dislike of Quinn, she isn't very happy with me right now."

"I will help you with this mess you have gotten yourself in but you have to do something for me." James paused, taking in the teenage boy in front of him and knowing that his angel girl might hate him for what he was about to set into motion. "You have to take Rachel to the reception tomorrow night, the one that the town is giving to celebrate me being awarded the Medal of Honor. Since you and your mother will have to be there anyway, you might as well escort Rachel to the reception as her friend."

"How do I ask her when she wants nothing to do with me?"

Finn listened carefully as James detailed his plan and shook his head at how sneaky the whole thing sounded. But also there was the first light of forgiveness in his heart. He would have to make Rachel listen to him and hope she wouldn't throw them away for good.


	3. Revelations and Regret

_Here is the next Chapter. For those who have asked. Chapters 1 thru 7 are the original story by ddh973 with some tweaks and add ons from me. Starting Chapter 8 will be all my original work with some ideas left over from ddh1973_

'

**_Honor the Tether! Remember the Drummer!_ **

* * *

**Chapter 3**

It was dark outside and Finn was still at the Berry's with a scrapbook opened in his lap. He was transfixed at the pictures of his dad, shocked at how much he resembled him in height, pale skin and the freckles that ran along his face. He was so wrapped up in the pictures that Finn didn't notice General Berry sit down beside him until he started to speak.

"Finn, you know that I love you. I have even before you started loving my angel girl. I promised your father I would help you out. I'm sorry I was so hard on you. Chris would be proud and he'd do whatever he could to get you through this, so I will as well. Son, why don't you tell me some more details about how you got involved with Quinn Fabray again? What led to you to pretending that you were a couple again? I can see that, despite her attempts to pretend otherwise, my angel girl isn't dealing with this very well and neither are you or Quinn. That girl is acting like she is on auto pilot. I expected her to put up a fuss when I ordered you to take Rachel home and she just stood there with a lifeless look on her face. Something is wrong with that girl and you know exactly what it is," James said gently, pushing aside the part of him that expected his orders to be followed long enough to get to the heart of what is wrong here.

"Sir, I promised her that I would keep this a secret. She begged me to and I can't break that promise or she might hurt herself more than she has. I might not be in love with Quinn the way I am with Rachel but I care about her too much to let her cause any more harm to her..."

Finn stopped short as he realized that he had revealed too much. He stared at James and before starting to talk again, knowing deep down that he needed to tell someone exactly what was going on here and the man sitting beside him was going to have to be it.

"It started a month ago, the Monday after we won the District Championship. I had just finished talking to Dave Karofsky in the hall when I found Quinn leaning up against the locker. She started talking about how seeing me be the leader and winning the football game made her realize why she had loved me. The next thing I know she is kissing me and walking away. I hadn't had any encounters with her before that. She had been arguing with Puck the entire week over her quitting the Glee Club to stay with the Cheerios so her declaration had confused me. I was too busy trying to help Coach Beiste figure out how to replace the football players that weren't in the Glee Club so we could actually play the game. I was also pissed at Rachel and trying not to argue with her over an attempt at making me jealous by singing Need You Now with Puck and then trying to come up with a plan so she didn't get killed. Why Beiste allowed the girls I'll never know."

"It sounds to me like my angel girl's attempt worked, son," James said, smiling at the young quarterback.

"Fine, I'll admit it. Her little scheme worked, all I wanted to do was kick his ass and drag her out of the classroom to find somewhere private to kiss the hell out of her, then yell at her for joining the football team. But that wouldn't solve the problems we still have between us."

"No it wouldn't but it would have showed Rachel that you still wanted her and had feelings for her. She doesn't give up that easy as I am sure that you are aware of by now but something in you dating Quinn again has made her lose her spark and her ability to fight back. You agreed to this scheme to help a girl that you care about and ended up hurting the one that you are in love with. It sounds like you can't win for losing, son. So what happened next?"

"I let Puck deal with the Cheerios quitting and leaving us short three members for Regionals because I had too much going to deal with Quinn, Santana and Brittany letting Coach Sylvester control them. So he ended up arguing with Sam all week and almost got into a fight that Mr. Schue had to stop. I also had to keep them from killing each other while trying to practice for the game that was looking like we weren't going to be able to play."

"Is that when my granddaughter got the idea for her and the other girls in Glee to play in the game?"

Finn, in the same move that resembled the one he did when Rachel suggested it during Glee club that day, placed his palm on his forehead, wondering what the hell they had been thinking. Tina had been tackled but luckily she hadn't been hurt and was able to walk off of the field on her own two feet.

"Yes, it was. I should have gone with my gut when it told me to put my foot down and tell her it wasn't happening. That it would be over my dead body before she went out onto that field to play even one second of that football game. I may have been pissed at her but I didn't want her hurt and it just as easily could have been Rachel instead of Tina that was tackled. I know people think that I am an ass because I never thanked her for doing that. That I'm too dumb to admit that she did that for me but at the time I was still messed over the thought of her kissing Puck."

James put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, fighting not to grin as he started to speak.

"Son, I don't know how the women are in Rachel's mother's family but my Camilla was a feisty woman. Rachel is a lot like her being that she was a petite brunette that could storm out of a room when you crossed her. My Camilla was a diva so Rachel gets it honest on both sides of her family."

"According to Rachel, they don't know who her biological father is, so how can you be sure she is like your late wife?"

"I am not my son and his partner. I had a DNA test done on me and Rachel to see if she was a blood relative and it proved that Leroy is her biological father."

"So you are saying the Rachel is a lot like your late wife?"

"Yes and I could never win a fight with Cammie. One time she got so mad at me, I ended up getting a plate of spaghetti thrown at my head."

Finn grinned at the older man's words before remembering an encounter that Rachel had gotten into with both Puck and Santana right before Christmas. She had brought a plate of her sugar cookies to him, in an effort to apologize. He had turned them down as gently as possible and started to walk away when he had heard Quinn call out and a crash behind him. He had turned around to find Puck and Santana lying on the floor in the hall, before sitting up to sweep away bits of broken glass and shattered cookies off of themselves as Rachel stormed down the hall. The door to the auditorium had slammed so hard the walls had shaken and he remembered fighting not to grin at the stunned looks his fellow Glee Club members and other classmates had exchanged with each other.

"What's the grin for, son?"

"Rachel threw a plate of sugar cookies at Santana and Puck right before Christmas. They were for me and I turned them down which wasn't an easy thing to do because I love anything she bakes. But if I would have taken them, it would have encouraged her to keep coming after me. But from what Mercedes told me, Santana called her man hands and a pathetic bitch while Puck stole a cookie off of the plate then they took off down the hall at the same time. If they hadn't of heard Quinn screaming for them to duck, Rachel would have hit them both when the plate came flying out of her hands before she turned around and walked off. Santana mainly sticks to insults now and has figured out when to quit. I think she realized that Rachel had a pretty good aim and the next time Rachel gets that mad, it might be something that would hurt a lot worse than a plate of cookies."

"Oh really then why did she call her that horrible name when I came into the classroom today?"

"I think Santana thought that Rachel wouldn't throw something at her in front of her grandfather and could get away with it."

"Understood, now let's get back to Quinn. What happened after she kissed you that day at school?"

_Finn had pulled his truck up to the curb outside of Quinn's house and parked it. He quickly got out of his truck and made his way onto the front porch. He wanted to know what she had hoped to accomplish by kissing him earlier that day when from what he had seen the previous week, she had to deal with Puck and Sam fighting over her. He had enough of his own problems with Rachel and school, to deal with an ex that he had forgiven but not forgotten the things she had done to him._

_He rang the doorbell and after a few moments, tried the front door, which came open at just a touch. Everything inside of Finn had told him to search for Quinn and make sure she was okay, so he had stepped inside of the house. He didn't see anybody on the first floor or any kind of clue that Quinn or her mom were there, so he made his way up the stairs. He walked over to the room that he knew was Quinn's and stepped into the bedroom, the sight of Quinn, sitting on the foot of her bed, holding a straight razor blade over her thigh, getting ready to cut herself wasn't what he had been expecting._

_"What the hell are you doing, Quinn!" Finn exclaimed harshly as he marched over and snatched the razor blade out of her hand._

_"Finn, ho-how did you get in here?" Her voice had been angry but full of fear as well._

_"The way you left the front door when you came home, I thought somebody had broken in. I was making sure everything was okay."_

_"Why are you here?" Now she was full on furious._

_He had placed the blade out of sight on the top of her dresser before moving to sit beside her on the bed. He hadn't known what to say to his ex-girlfriend. But what do you say to someone you just caught doing something like that. He had finally decided to ask the questions that were flying through his head._

_"I want to know why the hell you kissed me like that! We haven't really talked to each other since you came onto me at my locker when school started back up again. Now all of sudden, after having Puck and Sam fighting over you all damn week, you are kissing me and telling me that you are starting to remember why you fell in love with me. What the fuck is going on, Quinn. I can be slow but not that damn slow. We both know you never loved me, you loved the idea of me. You know I have enough going on with Rachel to have deal with you pulling shit like this, so why did you do that?"_

_"They won't stop, Finn! Ever since Puck confronted me over quitting the Glee club, he and Sam have been fighting over me. He wants me back and I can't deal with him and Sam right now. There is only one way that they will both back off and let me think about which one I want to be with," she had cried desperately._

_"Oh and what is that?" His eyebrow raised, unsure if he wanted to hear this idea she had._

_"Pretend to be my boyfriend again. We won't hug or kiss or anything. We can just hold hands at all of the right times and sit beside each other in Glee club."_

_"No!" Had been his first reaction before noticing her starting to cry and Finn had felt like an ass before starting to explain his reaction. "Quinn, you are talking crazy. I might not be with Rachel right now but there is still something there with us and after some time has passed, I will want to be with her again. If I agree to what you want, it will hurt her and I can't do it. No matter how much she hurt me, I won't do the same thing to her."_

_"You love her that much?"_

_"Yes, I do. But she pisses me off worse than anybody ever has and I can't be with her right now."_

_"Please do this for me, Finn. We'll break up after the Prom is over."_

_Finn regarded her then asked "Why until Prom? It shouldn't take that long to figure things out."_

_Quinn's eyes flashed with something Finn didn't see, manipulation "Well, if we are going to do it we might as well get something out of it. I always have known we should be Prom King and Queen."_

_"It isn't Sam that you are running from? It's Puck."_

_"Yes. He won't let me forget Beth and how I gave up my baby, to get the life I had before my pregnancy back."_

_"Quinn...," he had started before trying to stand up and walk out of the room. She had stopped him by grabbing his arm, a wild and desperate look in her hazel eyes._

_"Please, Finn. We both win with this. Sam and Puck will leave me alone to give me time to think and Rachel will back off. She put herself in the middle of that football game, all just to impress you. Does that give you a clue as to how much she wants you back? Do you think about how it could have been her that got tackled instead of Tina? Just how much danger she put herself in just so you could play in that game because it means so much to you? I'm not the only one who needs someone they love to back off. You do too and we can help each other do that."_

_"If I agree to help you with his, there will be no kissing or making out at all. We hold hands in the halls just long enough for Rachel, Puck and Sam to see us. After Prom it's over."_

_Finn had felt like an idiot and an asshole for agreeing to help her with this plan but he couldn't let her try to cut herself again. He'd try to get her to tell her mom. He just hoped that Rachel would let him explain what was going on when the time was right. That she wouldn't completely turn her back on him for 'forgiving' Quinn over her._

Finn could feel General Berry staring at him and knew that a lecture was coming; one that he wouldn't forget for a long time.

"What the hell were you thinking? You should have told her mother what was going on instead of giving into that little scheme of hers," James paused, shaking his head in dismay before continuing to speak. "Why does she want to continue this until after the Prom.?"

"She has her heart set on being Prom Queen and I'm the only one who can help her do it. I'm the most popular guy in school again after being named the MVP of the Championship game and she thinks we can use that to win. If I wasn't afraid of the fact that she would really hurt herself, I would have told her no."

"So you have fooled everybody at school with this fake relationship and broken the heart of the girl you still love? All for a girl that needs more help than you can give her and sounds like she only wants to use you, again."

"I'm afraid of what she will do to herself if the truth comes out about what I caught her trying to do to herself."

"Why don't you tell me how the two of you made everybody think that the two of you were back together?"

"Quinn told me to act like an arrogant jerk after winning the football game. Then to talk to Mr. Schue in front of the class about having a kissing booth since," Finn grimaced when he was about to say this next part. "All of the girls in school would want to kiss the winning quarterback. She would act like it was beyond her but still act interested enough to arouse Sam's suspicions. He played right into her hands and made her kiss me. I told Rachel some nonsense about seeing fireworks but all I felt was pity for her and disgust. She broke up with Sam right after that kiss. But the worst was yet to come."

"Let me guess, my angel girl came up to the booth."

"Yes. Rachel came up to the booth, like Quinn and I had both suspected that she would. I knew she was trying to get me to kiss her and that I would come back to her when our lips met. That was what I was afraid of, so I kissed her on the cheek. She got angry at me and told me she still loved me, that I was the only one she cared about, not Puck or anybody else. It was everything I could do not to kiss her right then and there; to close that damn thing and tell Quinn to find a new way to keep Puck and Sam at a distance. Then my brain took over instead of my heart. I gave her the Christmas present I had ordered for her and told her that I believed in her and that she should shine like that star she is."

"Finn, she threw that necklace and the one with your name on it straight in the garbage when she got home from Kurt's gathering at Breadstix; the one where you and Quinn attended together as a couple. Hiram got them out of there, hoping that once Rachel calmed down, she would want them back. From what I have seen earlier today and when she left this house just now, Rachel hasn't forgiven you and it might be awhile before that happens."

"I worked my ass off at Burt's shop and at Sheet's and Things to pay for both of those necklaces! Why the hell would she do that?"

"Maybe she didn't want anything that you had ever given her after seeing you forgive and gone back to a girl that had actually had sex with your best friend and let you think the baby was yours for months. While you won't forgive her for a kiss that happened out of hurt, anger and the Lopez girl taunting her over having sex with you. I am curious as to how your family reacted to you seemingly going back to a relationship with Quinn."

Finn grimaced as he remembered Kurt's reaction to him showing up with Quinn at Breadstix. His stepbrother had been pissed off, to put it very mildly and when he had gotten home that night, Finn had found out that his mother now knew. Carole Hummel's reaction to her son going back to the girl who had lied to and deceived him so horribly hadn't been pretty. She had forbidden him to even bring Quinn over to the house."

"Son, sometimes the consequences are just as harsh even when you are pretending to act like a jerk? You have to get out of this little pattern you have of judging people harshly for their mistakes while others forgive you for the ones you make over and over again. From what I have heard, you have made some pretty big ones, particularly with Rachel and she forgives you every time." James paused, wanting to ease up a bit before Finn walked out. There were a few more things he wanted to know about. "Now if you and Quinn aren't making out, how did she end up with this hickey that Rachel told me about? The one Quinn walked into the choir room wearing the day after Valentine's Day?"

"I sat on her bed and watched her do that to herself with her mom's vacuum cleaner. She said that we had to make everybody think that we had really gotten back together."

"Of all the stupid and dangerous things to do," James stated as he shook his head in dismay before continuing to speak. "I have heard from Rachel that there was a confrontation between you and Puck over this whole thing. That he is the only one who is suspicious of you and Quinn, well along with Rachel but unlike him, she doesn't seem to care anymore." James commented.

"Yes, he is and Quinn is freaking out. He is the main one that she wanted to fool with this scheme and to back off," Finn said, remembering the conversation that had taken place outside the choir room between him and his best friend.

_The Day after Valentine's Day_

_In front of Finn's locker_

_Finn had stopped in front of his locker to grab his books for the day, ignoring the looks of anger that Mercedes was giving him. She had been sitting with Rachel at Breadstix last night and had been the one to comfort his ex when he and Quinn had shown up at the restaurant, holding hands._

_The glare that Kurt had given him had felt like it was going to burn a hole in him. But if he wanted to keep Quinn from doing something to hurt herself, he had to do to this. At least long enough to get Quinn to realize she needed help that he couldn't provide for her._

_There had been one other person whose anger had made him uncomfortable and that was Puck. His best friend had shot angry and suspicious looks in his and Quinn's direction the entire night, when he wasn't talking to Lauren, who had become his friend since she had saved him. He had known they were talking about him and Quinn because of the glances and glares at her own the girl had given him. He had known it was a bad idea to show up there with Quinn, especially after she had used the vacuum cleaner to make it look like he had given her a hickey._

_It had killed him to see the pain in Rachel's eyes when she had seen them together. He had noticed her get Mercedes help in taking off the star necklace he had given her earlier that week and knew that she wouldn't forgive him that easily. That even when the truth came about why he started up with Quinn again, the girl he still loved might never come back to him._

_At that moment, Finn's focus had been pulled away from his thoughts of Rachel to the sight of his very angry best friend stalking towards him. Puck looked mad enough to kill someone and Finn had really didn't want to get into a physical fight with him._

_"What the fuck are you doing, Hudson? You tell me to stay away from Rachel, which made me think that you still had some feelings for her and then you pull the shit you did last night! Why the fuck would you do that?"_

_"Puck..."_

_"There had better be a very good explanation for why you betrayed not only Rachel but Sam too! Winning that damn game has turned you into an asshole, Hudson!"_

_Finn had noticed the rest of the school watching them, well except for a distraught Rachel. She had stormed down the hall to her first class, ignoring him and refusing to even look in his direction. His heart had sunk at the fact that Rachel hadn't calmed down from the night before._

_"It isn't what you think it is dude. That is all I will tell you," Finn had harshly whispered._

_"What the fuck does that mean? Why the hell are you whispering?"_

_"Maybe because I don't want the whole fucking school to hear what I am saying," he bit out through gritted teeth._

_Finn had then grabbed the last of the things he needed from his locker before slamming the door and walking away. He could feel Puck following him and that his friend wasn't going to back off. So when he had seen an empty classroom, Finn had stepped inside of it and closed the door behind Puck, shutting out the crowd that had decided to follow them._

_"Now that we are somewhere where the fucking gossips can't overhear everything, we can talk about this. I won't tell you everything because I made a promise to Quinn."_

_"What the fuck is going on here, Hudson?"_

_Puck's stance had been angry and he looked ready to strangle Finn with his bare hands. The sight of Rachel's tears and Puck's anger had filled Finn with doubt about going along with Quinn's plans. That he wasn't the one to help her and that he should have went to Mrs. Fabray or another adult who could get her the help she needs._

_"All I can tell you is that it isn't what it looks like. There is more to why Quinn and I are back together right now."_

_"You are going to have to tell me more than that, asshole."_

_"That is all I can tell you, Puck. The rest is up to Quinn and what she chooses to tell you."_

_Finn had then turned around and walked out of the room, ignoring the voice that was screaming at him to go back and tell Puck the truth._

"He knows that something is wrong with Quinn. That is why he reacted that way when you told me to take Rachel home. But I made a promise to Quinn and I won't break my word like that. It is up to her when she wants to tell her mom or anybody else about whatever is wrong with her, not mine. All I want to do is keep my friend from causing harm to herself."

James placed a comforting hand on Finn's shoulder before starting to speak.

"Son, you can't be with her every minute of the day. If Quinn really wants to hurt herself then she will find a way to do it. She needs more help than you can give her. But what about your word to Rachel? Finn, you can't keep hurting her to protect Quinn when you know you can't help her really. Has she cut herself since you agreed to this scheme?"

Before Finn could respond, his cellphone beeped, showing that he had a text message. He pulled it out and found that the message was from his mother.

_**'Finn, you better be home in twenty minutes or you are grounded!'** _

_**'Over at Rach's, talking to General Berry about dad. I'll be home soon.'** _

_**'You have plenty of time to talk about your father. You have school tomorrow.'** _

Finn put his phone up and turned to look at James, who had been looking at some of the pictures in the scrapbooks that were lying on the coffee table.

"I need to get home or I will be grounded; thank you sir for listening to me and telling me about my dad."

"You're welcome, son. You don't have to take Rachel to that reception if you don't want to."

"That's okay. I will ask her tomorrow; we need to talk anyway."

James watched Finn leaving, trying to hide the smirk that wanted to come over his face because he knew from conversations with his co-conspirators that Finn wasn't over Rachel and vice versa. His granddaughter and the boy she loved were going to be a challenge but James had never failed at any task he had started and two stubborn, lovesick teenagers weren't going to be his first.

Finn stepped out onto the porch and was walking towards his truck when the sight of Kurt's navigator pulled up to the curb. He watched as Rachel got out and starting to walk towards the house, stopping short at the sight of him standing there.

A look of longing passed between them and the tension grew strong enough that they both felt like they were going to choke. At least until Rachel shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, walked right past him without saying a word and into the house.

He stood there for a few moments watching her bedroom window, hoping as the lights turned on that she would look out the window. But she never did. It was enough to make him feel like first class jackass. Yes, she had hurt him by kissing Puck but after talking to General Berry, he hadn't helped by ignoring her all week. By letting Santana talk to her anyway she pleased and not once told the girl to shut up when it counted. Well except for his mom's wedding and Santana had tried hitting on him. He had his moments when he had been a good boyfriend to her but others where he had failed. It was moments like this that he wished Quinn had never kissed him that day and that he had never been pulled into her plans for keeping Puck and Sam away from her and winning Prom Queen. Finn was beginning to realize that General Berry was right, even pretending to be a jerk had its consequences. He just hoped that by taking Rachel to the reception tomorrow night, some of the tension and anger that was still there between them would start to get better.


	4. The Truth

Next Chapter of Medal of Honor. Thanks for all the visits and views since I posted the first chapter. I have had over 700 views and 265 visitors. Thanks for reviewing it as well.

To the guest reviewer who wrote:

_Guest Reviewer; I'd like to see Finn taking more accountability. He's blaming Quinn and other people too much for his own stupid choices. Choices which weren't even right anyway, he's not helping Quinn by keeping this secret for her. Quinn needs actual help, and Finn is just enabling her._

You have read three chapters. Let the story play out. If you've read any of my other fictions centered around this breakup you will see that I always have Finn admit his part. This one he might take a minute but in the end he will come thru. I don't see where he's blaming Quinn. Yes, he's hiding behind what she is doing to herself and of course he should tell an adult. Which he did in the last chapter. General Berry has his Medal of Honor dinner to get through before he can address the Quinn thing. He may talk to Judy at the dinner, seeing as she is high society of Lima, she will be in attendance.

Finchel is always endgame.

**_Honor the Tether! Remember the Drummer!_ **

* * *

The Truth

Rachel stood against the door, her eyes closed, fighting to control the rush of emotions that were flowing inside of her. It was everything she could do not to look out the window and watch him leave. Given that she hadn't heard the door to his truck close, the engine start and it leaving her driveway, Rachel knew he was still watching the house. Like he was hoping she would look out the window at him.

She was so wrapped up in her own turbulent emotions, Rachel didn't notice her grandfather walk past carrying empty pizza boxes to the garbage can. A look of worry came over James' face and he watched her for a few moments. He could also see out the window that Finn was still standing by his truck, looking up at Rachel's bedroom window.

"I'll be right back down, Grandpa. Let me just put my things in my bedroom," Rachel quickly said before running up the stairs.

'These two lovesick idiots are going to drive everyone around them crazy!' he thought to himself as he walked into Hiram's study. As he made his way to the desk, James heard the sound of Finn's truck starting and finally leaving the driveway.

'I guess he figured out that she wasn't going to look out the window at him.'

Luckily his son's partner kept his desk very organized and James knew exactly where to go to find what he was looking for. He smiled softly at the picture that was sitting on the desk. It was of Rachel at five years old being held on Camilla's lap and Leroy standing behind them with his hands on his mother's shoulders. The smiles on all three of their faces were bright enough to light up the entire room.

Hiram had adored his partner's mother and mourned her death as deeply as Rachel and Leroy. She had been more of a mother to him than his own, who had disapproved of her only son being gay. His Camilla had been so many wonderful things to a lot of people and he missed her with everything inside of him. His hatred for the drunk driver that had taken her from all of them before Rachel's sophomore year grew with every day that he had to live without her.

James put aside the anger and sorrow burning inside of him and opened the right side drawer that held what he was looking for. He picked up each jewelry box, opened them and saw that the items in them were both intact. He closed them and held them in his hands before closing the drawer and leaving the room.

The sight of Rachel sitting on the couch, staring at the scrapbook that had been left on the coffee table, gave his aging heart hope. Rachel greeted him as he walked into the living room. She was staring at one picture in particular and James knew exactly which one it was without looking upon it. It was the one of him, Nathan McKenzie, a sniper named Jethro Gibbs and Christopher Hudson. They had been heading out of Kuwait and into Iraq on an undercover mission that would end in the death of Chris and Nathan being dishonorably discharged.

"He really does look like his father," Rachel quietly said, tears filling her brown eyes.

James walked over and sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and hugging his sobbing granddaughter tightly to him. Her body shook with the force of her sobs and it broke him because his one weakness had always been when the women in his life were upset. All it had taken was either Camilla, their daughter Lacy or Rachel and his other granddaughter Marnie crying to make the tough general stand down and the concerned husband, father and grandfather take over.

"I love him, Grandpa but I'm so angry, I could slap him. Why would he go back to her after what she did to him but he can't forgive me?"

"Angel girl, sometimes things aren't always what they seem," he said gently, kissing her on the top of the head.

At his words, Rachel sat up and looked over at her grandfather, determination growing in her dark eyes.

"He told you something about why he is with Quinn again, didn't he?"

"Yes he did and no it isn't my story to tell so don't even ask me about it," he said sternly.

"Grandpa..." She stuck out her lower lip in a pout that was another way both she and Marnie got over on their grandfather.

"Don't give me that look, Rachel Barbra. That pout of yours isn't going to work this time. Finn will tell you what is going on with him and Quinn when he is ready to."

"Grandpa..."

"No, Rachel. I have already told you that I am not telling you what is going on and you need to respect that," he stated before handing her the jewelry boxes that were in his hands. "Your dad pulled them out of the garbage can because he knew you would regret throwing them away."

Rachel glanced down at the beautiful star necklace that Finn had bought her for Christmas and the one that had his name on it, before closing both boxes. She handed them both to her grandfather, who took them without saying a word.

"I'm not ready to take them back, grandpa. I know I hurt him by kissing Puck and I understand why he broke up with me. I just can't forgive his hypocritical behavior in the fact that he can forgive Quinn, who slept with Puck because she felt fat that day. It makes angry enough to slap him and I die inside a little more every day when I see them walking down the hall together."

"Angel girl, all I will tell is that there is more to the story about why he is with Quinn and that Finn will tell you when he is ready to."

"I'll leave it alone, for now," Rachel firmly stated before sitting the scrapbook on the table, kissing her grandfather on the cheek before getting up from the couch. "I'm going to go to bed. Good night, Grandpa."

"Goodnight, angel girl."

Rachel leaned over and hugged James before leaving the room and going up stairs. He waited until her bedroom door closed before getting up to take the boxes containing the necklaces back to Hiram's study. He stared at the picture of Camilla and sighed to himself before leaving the room.

* * *

The next morning Rachel was sitting in the choir room, talking to Mercedes and Tina while glancing over at her grandfather. He was visiting with the Glee Club today and had been sitting with the boys around him; all of them were fascinated with the stories that James had been telling of the battles he had been a part of. His usually stern manner was gone as he got into the descriptions of the heat of the deserts in the Middle East and the jungles that he fought in during the Vietnam War. Even Mr. Schuester seemed to be interested in the stories that her grandpa was telling.

Rachel was avoiding making eye contact with Finn, whom she could feel staring at her. Besides something else was bothering her at the moment that was more important than her and Finn pining over each other.

She had been watching Quinn since arriving in the choir room that morning. Something wasn't right with her; it was almost like she didn't care about anything anymore. There wasn't any life in her eyes and she wasn't clinging to Finn the way a girlfriend would. In fact, it seemed that there was more going on between Puck and Quinn than there was with her boyfriend.

The ringing of her cellphone pulled Rachel's focus away from watching Quinn and she groaned in irritation at the text that was on the screen. She looked up at everybody else in the classroom, which had all turned to glance at her.

"Mr. Schue, I need to go to the office and pick up a package that got sent here instead of my home."

Before Will could respond, James looked at the teacher and started to speak.

"If it's what I think it is, you won't be able to carry that by yourself, angel girl," James turned to Finn with a twinkle in his eye, ignoring the glare that his granddaughter was giving him. "How about you go and help her, Finn?"

"Yes sir," Finn replied, standing up and walking over to where Rachel had gone over to the door. He knew that Quinn was going to be angry at him for being so willing to go with Rachel but Finn was getting tired of the charade. He knew that their 'relationship' wasn't going to last until the prom.

James smirked to himself as he watched Rachel and Finn leave the room before turning to face the rest of the class; he continued to tell some more stories for the boys and ignoring the fear that Quinn had in her eyes. He had a strong feeling that despite the fact the girl obviously needed help, she was taking advantage of Finn's naiveté to get what she wanted; Prom Queen.

Quinn glared at the back of Finn's head as he headed out the door with Rachel. What does her grandfather have that makes Finn say how high when he says jump? She was getting pretty tired of the old man ordering Finn around. She let it go yesterday, but Finn should know better. Their 'relationship' was being questioned and he wasn't doing anything to make it appear they were back together.

He said he wouldn't tell anyone about the cutting. He had caught her but she hadn't or hasn't really done anything. To be honest she was changing the blade in her razor, the old fashion kind that had been a gift from her grandparents. Finn assumed and she didn't correct him. He made it so easy to get him to sympathize with her. She knew Finn wanted space from Rachel and yes she wanted Puck and Sam to back off but she didn't need Finn to really do that. One thing she did need from Finn was that crown. But Rachel and her damn grandfather were starting to get in the way. No way in hell was she allowing this. Finn would hear about it later.

Not a word was said between Finn and Rachel as they walked down the hall towards the main office. When they got there, Finn held the door open for her and picked up the wrapped portrait that was waiting for Rachel. He waited patiently as she signed for the delivery before following her out of the office.

Before they could get to the choir room, Finn walked into an empty classroom and sat the painting down on top of a desk. He watched as Rachel entered the room before going over to close the door behind her.

"Finn, what are you doing? We need to get back to the choir room," Rachel commented, her hands on her hips.

"We need to talk."

"No, we don't. I think you said everything when you broke up with me for kissing Puck and then going back to Quinn after she actually screwed him, got pregnant and tried to pass the baby off as yours with a weak and stupid lie that came back to haunt her," she said, her chocolate colored eyes alight with irritation.

"Rachel, Quinn and aren't really back together!"

His declamation stopped her from continuing her rant and for the first time ever Rachel Berry was stunned into silence. When she finally was able to speak, only one word came out of her mouth."

"What?"

"Quinn and I aren't really back together. We have been pretending in order to keep both Sam and Puck away from her because she is really starting to lose it."

"What about the hickey?"

"She did it with a vacuum cleaner before we went to Breadstix that day."

"What is wrong with Quinn and why is my grandfather keeping it quiet because I know that you told him what is going on."

"It all started the week before the District championship game. Quinn, Puck and Sam had been arguing all week over her quitting Glee for the cheerios and she was starting to get stressed out because of it. The Monday after the game, Quinn came up to me in the hall right and then started saying that how I brought the team back together made her remember why she had fallen for me. The next thing I know she is kissing me and I am wondering what the hell has gotten into her because we haven't really talked since the beginning of the school year. After school, I went over to her house to confront her and the front door was standing open. So I went into the house to make sure everything was okay and when I got to her bedroom, I found Quinn getting ready to cut herself on the thigh with a razor blade."

"Oh my God, Finn, you need to tell Mrs. Fabray what is going on!"

"Let me tell you the rest of what happened before you freak out on me, Rach," Finn stated. "I went across the room and took it out of her hand before she could cut herself. I placed it up on top of her dresser to make sure she couldn't get it and she told me off for coming into her house like that. Quinn then came up with this insane plan where we would pretend to date to keep Puck away from her. I told her no at first but then I let her talk me into it. I wanted to help her and prevent her from hurting herself but I think she is still doing it and that I should have told her mom what was going on."

"Finn Hudson, have you lost your damn mind! She needs more help than you pretending to be her boyfriend again. What are you going to do if she slits her wrists one night when you aren't there to stop her," Rachel exclaims before going to leave the room. "I am going to tell Miss Pillsbury and Mr. Schue!"

Finn quickly rushed over to the door and stopped her from leaving. He held her against him, ignoring the parts of him that were very happy to have Rachel in his arms again.

"Let me go, Finn!"

"Rach let me tell Puck first and see if he can get through to her. Give me the time to do that before telling anybody else."

"You have until Regionals, Finn or I am telling somebody what is going on."

"Thank you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Finn realized that he was holding her for the first time in months. She was looking up into his eyes and he started to lower his head down to kiss her when Rachel pushed away from him. He let her go and watched as she walked to the center of the room, take a deep breath as if to calm herself and then turned to face him.

"This isn't happening, Finn. I won't let what happened at the first of last year happen again where you kiss me but then go running back to Quinn. I won't become that desperate girl again. If you think you want to get back together with me and think that you can finally forgive me, when you end this charade you have going on with Quinn and after we give ourselves time to get over what happened before Christmas I might consider it but until then you aren't to try to kiss me again."

"I agree. But I want you to go with me to the reception tomorrow night because my mom has said that Quinn isn't to be there or she will ground my ass and we both need a date."

"Fine, but we are going as friends and nothing more. Now let's get back to the choir room before Mr. Schue and my grandfather start to search for us."

Rachel left the room without looking at Finn, who picked up the painting from the desk and followed her down the hall and into the choir room with a mischievous smile gracing his face.


	5. Rage and Revenge

_Story: Medal Of Honor_   
_Chapter: 1. General Berry_

_From: Guest_   
_-_

_:If your going to rewrite story can you good one that unfinished_

_So I got the above review. And of course it's from an anon so I guess I'm gonna have to waste everyones time and address it here. Did you not read the author's note in the first and third chapters? It clears states that I have taken over this unfinished story from ddh1973. Chapters one thru seven are her original works with some tweeking from me. Chapter eight and beyond are going to be all of my original works. Thank you and now back to the story,..._

_**Honor the Tether! Remember the Drummer!** _

Chapter 5: Rage and Revenge

Rage was only one of the emotions Nathan McKenzie felt as he watched General James Berry through the monitor that showed him what was going on in McKinley High's choir room. He placed them there at the beginning of the year when he realized Berry's granddaughter Rachel was a student there and a member of the school's show choir.

As much as he hated James Berry, Nathan had developed a soft spot for the very talented teenager and the fact that his late friend's son was in love with her, despite his stupidity in allowing that little Latina whore to treat Rachel how she does. As much as it had pained him to admit it, Nathan had enjoyed watching the General rip Santana and that teacher a new one yesterday for how the former treats Rachel and the latter does nothing to stop it.

He watched as Rachel and Finn walked back into the classroom with the boy holding a large picture frame in his hands and Nathan felt guilt overtake him. He had been responsible for Finn Hudson growing up without his father and James Berry had never let him forget the mistake he had made on the mission where Chris had died. Neither did Jethro Gibbs, that damn Seal sniper sent in as part of a joint mission with the Marines. He hated both of those men with everything inside of him but it was James Berry that Nathan despised with a loathing that would never stop until the day he died.

As much as he hated the pain it would cause Chris Hudson's son, Rachel Berry and the rest of her family would have to pay for her grandfather's sins. That drunk driver who had killed Camilla Berry had prevented him from taking the man's wife away from him but Nathan had enjoyed seeing the pain it had caused James at the loss of his beloved Camilla.

Rachel and Finn walked into the classroom and over to where James was sitting. The older man took the picture out of Finn's hands and placed it on the easel that Mr. Schuester had sent Puck to find while Finn and Rachel were gone.

Tears filled his eyes as he removed the brown paper that surrounded the frame and stared at the face of his beloved Camilla on their wedding day. He could feel Rachel touch him on the shoulder and knew that his angel girl was crying. She had taken Camilla's death very badly and it was only her love of Broadway and the dreams of being a star that had gotten his granddaughter through her grandmother's death.

Mr. Schuester and the other members of New Directions could feel the strong emotions that Rachel and her grandfather were feeling and it was all Finn could do not to get up and hold her. It was only Quinn putting her hand on his arm that made him stop. He had to put an end to this charade with her very soon or he would lose any chance he had to get Rachel back.

"Do you remember the song me and your grandmother would always dance to?" James asked Rachel.

Rachel smiled softly as she remembered as a little girl watching her grandparents dance to the song they had danced to the first night they had met.

"Sing it with me, Grandpa."

James smiled at his granddaughter before walking over to the Jazz band and telling them what song to play. He ignored the pain of missing his wife as the familiar music started. Will smiled as memories of his own grandparents dancing to this song came to mind.

James (Bold) Rachel (Italics) Together (Bold, Italics)

**Unforgettable**   
**that's what you are**   
_Unforgettable_   
_tho near or far._

**Like a song of love that clings to me**   
**how the thought of you does things to me.**   
**Never before**   
**has someone been more...**

_Unforgettable_  
 _In every way_  
 **and forever more** ( _and forever more_  
 **that's how you'll stay (** _that's how you'll stay_ )

_**That's why, darling, it's incredible** _   
_**that someone so unforgettable** _   
_**thinks that I am** _   
_**Unforgettable, too.** _

Finn watched in awe as Rachel sang and danced with her grandfather, singing an obviously old song that had a very special meaning to them. He felt the words of the song wash over him as he realized that to him Rachel was unforgettable and that he had been fooling himself when he thought that he could stay away from her. They had a connection that he would never have with anybody else, even the girl sitting beside him. It was time to tell Puck and Mrs. Fabray what was going on with Quinn and get her the help she needs because what they were doing wasn't going to help anybody. It was going to cause more harm than good because Rachel was right, he couldn't watch her every minute of every day.

_No never before has someone been more_

_Unforgettable_ ( **Unforgettable**  
 _In every way_ , **(In every way**  
 _and forever more_ ( **And forever more**  
 _that's how you'll stay._ ( **That's how you'll stay.)**

_**That's why, darling, it's incredible** _   
_**that someone so unforgettable** _   
_**thinks that I am** _   
_**Unforgettable, too.** _

The members of New Directions, even Santana, applauded as the song came to an end as Rachel and her grandfather hugged, their eyes wet with tears.

"Mom would have loved hearing the two of you singing together," a voice said from the doorway.

Every eye in the room turned to face a petite woman with a slender frame and an olive skin tone that was darker than Rachel's. Behind her was a six-foot African American male with the same color skin as James, standing with them was a young woman that shared some of the same features as Rachel but with a caramel color to her skin. She also had a slightly taller build and curvier frame.

"Aunt Lacy," Rachel exclaimed.

She ran into the arms of the woman who had spoken, who returned to hug before letting the other people with her hug Rachel while moving over to where James was standing.

"Hi Daddy," Lacy said with a gentle smile.

James pulled his youngest child into his embrace, hugging her tightly before letting her move over to the picture that was still sitting on the easel.

It was then that Rachel realized the other members of New Direction were all staring at the family reunion taking place in front of them.

"This is my Aunt Lacy, Uncle Charlie and my cousin Marnie."

"What kind of person names their child that?"

Lacy turned fury filled eyes over to Santana, the one who had just made that comment about her daughter's name.

"Someone who loves Alfred Hitchcock movies," she snapped back. "Let me guess. You must be Santana, the little loudmouth who can't mind her own business and takes pleasure out of destroying other people's relationships."

James pulled his daughter out into the hall before she threw something at Santana; his little girl not only resembled her mother but had her temper as well.

Nathan McKenzie watched the pair sing together and the family reunion that had just taken place and hatred filled him. Why did James Berry get the happy family while his had been torn apart after his dishonorable discharge? At least Jethro Gibbs had suffered at losing his family when they had been murdered by a Mexican drug dealer.

General Berry losing his wife wasn't enough for Nathan. He needed to lose his entire family to suffer the same pain that Nathan had.

James turned to Lacy and said "Now baby girl, I know we all want that girl to get her comeuppance, and she has already been given a dressing down, by me. The only way for her to be put in her place is to help my angel girl. Finn has already revealed the true nature of his renewed relationship with the blonde one and it only a matter of time before he breaks up with her. I've already been in contact with our Lima friend and she assures me Finn's mother is livid about that reunion."

"But daddy, how am I supposed to let her speak about my niece or my daughter in that manner?" Lacy concluded.

"You don't but I know your temper and once you get going there is no stopping you. Now lets join your brother and my two beautiful angel girls and show this glee club not to mess with the Berry's."

Lacy and James returned to the choir room, seeing Marnie talking to Rachel and Leroy speaking with that useless Mr. Shue.

Lacy was the first to speak. "I apologize for losing my temper, but I stand by what I said." She looked at Santana and Quinn then spoke. "You need to realize, your looks and fakeness will only go so far. High School is easy for girls like you two. But when you get into the real world no one will care that you screwed the entire football team or you…pointing to Quinn... or that you were head cheerleader. Your professors, your bosses and your coworkers are only going to care about the determination and drive to succeed you display. You may be on top here but unless you change your attitude, you will fail in the rest of your life."

Artie was biting his tongue so he wouldn't laugh because Rachel's family was fierce. He noticed everyone who wasn't the subject of Aunt Lacy's talk were trying hard not to burst out and laugh at the two ex-cheerios.

Santana crossed her arms over her chest and Quinn glared at Finn, like he was supposed to defend her. Finn looked at Quinn and shrugged his shoulders. And that's when Artie lost it. He busted out laughing and choked out "Damn you got told." Mercedes was next and the rest followed. Santana and Quinn stormed out of the choir room.

Serves them right said Tina. "Its about time someone laid some of that knowledge Coach Sue is always spouting about. You have the coolest family Rachel." Mike still chuckling told Rachel.

"Thanks Mike, I've always thought so" Smiling at her family Rachel continued. "How about we do a Berry family favorite?" Walking over to Brad and whispering her song he smiled and Rachel said "From the top"

Nathan was still watching from the small dusty room he had set up in the back of his hideout. He was becoming more enraged at the Berry family sang and looked happy. "Why, does he get to be happy? Enjoy it while you can General, the day is coming when you will lose the most important thing in your life."

Nathan turned and stuck his Ka-Bar Marine tactical blade into a picture of Rachel.


	6. Finally Over

Here is the next installment of Medal of Honor. Thank you for the overwhelming support and love on this reboot. I am so excited about the response to this story.

Honor the Tether! Remember the Drummer!

Chapter 6

Later that night, Rachel was in her bedroom putting on her dress for the reception being held in her grandfather's honor. It wasn't going to be long before Finn got there to escort her to the event being held in the ballroom at one of Lima's more expensive hotels.

She stared in the mirror at the pink chiffon one shoulder gown that she was wearing. It had an embellished empire waistline that was covered in silver beads before flowing over her hips and down to her ankles. It was completed with a pair of sliver Christian Louboutin five inch sandals.

"My brother will wish he had never started to date Quinn again when he sees you in that dress."

Rachel turned to face the boy she had become friends with after her break up with Finn, her voice was soft and unlike how Rachel usually was.

"There is more to his relationship with Quinn than you know about, Kurt."

"I know, Rachel. I overheard him explaining to his mother what was really going on after she told him off for going back to Quinn. She has never forgiven her for lying about Beth being Finn's child and making up that story about the hot tub."

"Why has she forgiven me and Puck because the both of us have hurt Finn too?"

"The both of you apologized to Finn and have both admitted you were wrong. There is also the fact that there are extenuating circumstances in regards to why you did what you did and she knows that Finn wasn't completely blameless in what happened between the two of you. Carole is angrier at Santana for stirring shit up and purposely causing trouble between you and Finn."

"My aunt Lacy definitely doesn't like Santana. I thought she was going to go for her throat after Santana made a hateful comment about Marnie's name."

Before Kurt could respond, Marnie walked into her cousin's room wearing a pale blue strapless dress that hugged her curves. Her long dark hair was pulled up into a sleek ponytail that hung down to her waist. It was one of the traits that both she and her mother had received from her maternal grandmother.

"Mom has been dying to have it out with Santana since last Christmas and she found out why Finn wasn't with Rachel during our family dinner. She blames Santana for being a 'nosy bitch' that uses her 'keeping it real' argument as an excuse to be one. So Finn's mom isn't the only one who blames her and until Grandpa told her something about that Quinn girl, she wanted to go after her with both barrels as well. Now that she and Dad are moving to Lima and she has taken a job at McKinley being in charge of not only the drama department but McKinley's entire Arts Department, Mom has said that open season on Rachel is over."

"I don't see Coach Sylvester allowing that to happen."

"After the multimillion dollar donation that both Daddy and Grandpa have just made to the school system, a substantial amount going to the Arts department in all of the district's schools, there isn't much she can do. The school board and McKinley's Principal are worshiping at Mom's feet."

Kurt's mouth was open in shock while he stared at Marnie before turning to face Rachel.

"Just how wealthy is your family?"

"Vera Wang is designing Marnie's wedding dress," Rachel commented with an uncharacteristic smirk on her face.

Kurt turned to Marnie, still in shock while continuing to fix Rachel's hair, who was putting her makeup on in the mirror.

"You're getting married?"

Marnie smirked at her cousin before responding to Kurt's question.

"Let's just say that when your stepbrother sees him at tonight's reception, jealousy will kick in."

"You are marrying Jesse St. James!"

"Yes and just to be a bitch, I don't plan on telling Finn that he is my fiancé. I want him jealous of the fact that he might be coming back into Rachel's life."

"I don't like this, Marnie. It isn't right to deceive Finn like this, " Rachel stated determinedly. "He doesn't deserve it, I cheated on him."

"Yes, you did and are now paying for it by having to see him with the blond nightmare," Marnie commented to her cousin. "The reason I am doing this is because Finn Hudson needs a reality check. He needs to realize that if he doesn't cut out whatever it is he is doing right now with Quinn, you will one day move on to somebody else."

Rachel kept quiet, choosing not to tell Kurt and Marnie about the fact that he was already starting to come to his senses. That she and Finn had almost kissed earlier that day. She would have to tell them about Quinn and the fact that she is cutting herself and until Mrs. Fabray was told about what was going on, that had to stay a secret between the four people that knew about it.

At the same time, Finn was grimacing as he held his cellphone up to his ear. Quinn was ranting about Finn taking Rachel to the reception and was making her displeasure very well known.

"Everything we have planned will be jeopardized because you can't seem to say no to Rachel or her grandfather!"

"He was with my dad before he died and he is telling me a lot about who my dad was. Besides, we aren't really a couple, Quinn, so I don't know what the hell your problem is."

"Everybody else thinks that we are, Finn! What do you think will happen to our chances for Prom King and Queen if everybody finds out that we faked getting back together?"

"Prom Queen? That's all you seem to fucking care about and I am sick of it. You have until the Monday after Regionals to tell your mom about the fact that you are cutting or I will tell Puck what is going on with you."

"Finn…..."

"I am tired of the games, Quinn. I want Rachel back. I should be going to this reception with her as her boyfriend but you and Santana can't seem to leave shit alone and have to cause trouble for whoever you please."

'Santana didn't have a damn thing to do with Rachel kissing Puck!"

"Not according to Puck. It seems that right before Rachel went off with Puck, Santana was stirring shit up, the way she always does, all to cause trouble between me and Rachel. I don't know why she set out to do that but she might want to cut that shit out, given that Rachel's aunt will be working at McKinley as the head of the Arts department."

"What?"

"Rachel's Aunt Lacy is going to be Mr. Schue's boss and what she said to Santana today is nothing compared to how she can be when you cross her."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I met her this past summer and watched her tell off Marnie's ex-boyfriend to the point she made him cry after he called her daughter a bitch."

"I don't want you going with man hands to that reception and if you do, Finn Hudson, you will be sorry."

"Bring it on, Quinn."

"I serious Finn."

"Oh no don't be serious Quinn. That will get me to change my mind. First off I promised her and the General I'd take her. Secondly, you are not really my girlfriend. I can go anywhere I want with whom I want."

"You are so frustrating. Why can't you just do what I say. You're going to ruin everything. I've been planning this for a lo…I mean we had a deal."

Finn couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did she just say she's been planning this? He has had enough of Quinn and her crap. He just couldn't continue to hurt Rachel to protect Quinn from herself. She's been hurting herself, not just cutting, for almost two years. He can't help her. Not at the expense of his relationship with Rachel.

"Quin, shut up and listen. I should never have done this with you. I should never have agreed to any of this. You need to deal with Puck and Sam. I need to stop being angry and prideful and stop hurting Rachel. It's not going to work anymore for me. I don't want Rachel backing off anymore…Quinn tried to interrupt him… No Quinn let me finish. Whatever we were doing is over. You are no longer my fake girlfriend. Now you have no reason to forbid me from going with Rachel"

"Damn it Finn. We are not breaking up"

"Yes Quinn your right this is not a break up because this was never real. We were never real. You should really seek help for cutting yourself Quinn and deal with whatever shit there is with Puck and put poor Sam out of his misery. Goodbye Quinn don't talk to me. Let's go back to before you kissed me. Okay. Yeah. I hope you get help."

He hung up the phone while his now ex-girlfriend was protesting and grabbed the jacket to the tuxedo that his mother had rented for him. He left the room, ignoring the cellphone that was constantly ringing in his pocket.

Quinn threw her phone across her bedroom when Finn refused to pick up. Who does he think he is? Her carefully thought out plan has just been derailed. She was going to make a play for Finn after Regionals but Santana helped by blowing up Finchel (Still a stupid name in her opinion) and then Rachel going to Puck was fantastic. But the cherry on the top was Finn barging into her bedroom and assuming she was cutting herself. After that he had been so easy to convince but then the hobbit's grandfather came in and now Finn is all up on his precious Rachel again. Ugh, can she ruin my life anymore? Quinn thought to herself.

The student body is afraid of Puck; they don't really like him. He doesn't have the juice to get her that crown. Sam is an underclassman he definitely doesn't have it. Damn, Finn Hudson, you just couldn't wait just a little longer.

Quinn had to think of something else. While she was contemplating her phone rang, hoping it was Finn she scrambled to it.

"Hello"

"Quinnie"

"Oh, Hi." well that's disappointing.

"How is my favorite niece."

"I've been good Uncle Nathan."


	7. Meddling Through

_This is the last chapter that was in the original. I added on to the end. Starting the next chapter will be all my orginal works. Enjoy_

**_Honor the Tether! Remember the Drummer!_ **

* * *

Chapter 7

Kurt had just left and Rachel was sitting on her bed, waiting for Finn to arrive. Her door opened and in walked Marnie, holding a dress bag.

"Marnie, I am already dressed for the reception. Why are you bringing me another dress?"

"This isn't for the reception," Marnie replied, starting to open the bag she was carrying.

"Then what…"

Rachel stopped speaking when she recognized the bag in her cousin's hand. It had been one she and Marnie had seen in their grandmother's closet growing up. One they had both opened and admired the contents for years.

"Why are you bringing that to me?"

Rachel's voice was full of emotion, almost to the point of trembling as she watched her cousin pull out a tea length strapless wedding dress. It had a sweetheart neckline and had tiny pearls embroidered on the bodice and skirt.

"Mom didn't wear this because it wouldn't fit her and I decided to buy mine instead of using this because something didn't feel right about me wearing it, " she turned to face Rachel, tears filling her eyes. "Somehow I have always known that this dress was meant for you, Rae, not me."

"Marnie…."

"Let's hang it up in your closet and then sometime this week, we can take it over to the Hummel's and you can try it on for me and Kurt. He has agreed to help me with my wedding while I am back at school so everything for my wedding is in his basement."

"Marnie, there is too many chances that Finn will see the dress if it is over there."

"Rae, he has a girlfriend and until Finn breaks up with her, getting your hopes up when it comes to Finn Hudson is only going to cause you more pain then you have already been through because of him," Marnie said softly, her heart breaking for her cousin.

Rachel doesn't say a word to Marnie about why Finn is really with Quinn because it isn't her secret to tell. Despite how much the former Cheerio has hurt others and taken great pleasure in doing it, Rachel doesn't want anything bad to happen to Quinn Fabray.

Marnie finished putting the bag into the closet and then walked over to sit down on Rachel's bed, glancing at her watch impatiently.

"I swear if Jesse is keeping me waiting because of the fact he is fixing his hair, I am going to tell him off!"

Rachel giggled at the thought of her no nonsense, feisty and sensible cousin being involved with a male diva like Jesse.

"I never understood how the two of you got together. He is only a freshman and you are a senior. How did that happen? Why are your parents letting you two get married without freaking out?"

"Mom and dad aren't happy that I am planning on getting married before I graduate from college but I am over eighteen and supporting myself with the money Grandma left me in her will. Jesse's parents let him do what he pleases and his uncle is in charge of the family and he likes me. He thinks I help Jesse control some of his more vain tendencies. I love him and we want to get married. Are you okay with that, Rachel? I know you had feelings for him."

"I am fine with it. Jesse and I are too ambitious to ever work as a couple and I used him to stop thinking about Finn. Although I hope you got him back for him egging me."

Marnie grinned at Rachel before smirking mischievously at her cousin. The latter of which knew that her cousin had indeed done something to Jesse and couldn't wait to hear this.

"Yes, I did. My roommate's boyfriend assists with both the football and basketball teams and one night, Jesse found himself hanging by his underwear on one of the goalposts in the football stadium. He knew that I was responsible but was so eager to get me to go out with him at that point, that he figured that he deserved it."

"Isn't that a bit hypocritical on their parts because I have heard that members of sports teams have a tendency to haze each other?"

"It is but according to my roommate, the ones that helped do that to him all believe stuff like that shouldn't be done to a female and that Jesse deserved to have his ass stomped into the middle of next week."

Before Rachel could respond, there is a knock on the door and James opened the door, wearing his uniform; the sight of which left Rachel and Marnie speechless and in tears. They could both see why their grandmother had fallen in love at first sight.

"Finn is downstairs waiting for you, Rachel."

"Thank you, Grandpa," Rachel said as she stood up from where she had been sitting on her bed. She grabbed her dress coat and purse and stopped to kiss her grandpa on the cheek before leaving the room.

"That boy called, Marnie. He will be here in five minutes."

Panic came over Marnie's face as she rushed to the bedroom door to go downstairs. James gently grabbed her arm and stopped his oldest granddaughter from leaving.

"Marnie, what are you up to," James inquired, sternly.

"Finn and Rachel need to leave because I don't want him to see Jesse yet."

"Why?"

"Finn knows that I am engaged but doesn't know that it is Jesse. I want him to be jealous at the sight of him being at the party tonight so he can get his head out of his ass and dump the prom queen wannabe."

James smiled because he already knew that Finn had broken up with Quinn that night but he also knew that Rachel wasn't ready to date Finn again. They both needed to heal a bit from the damage that they had done to each other because of the events that had caused their breakup.

James followed his granddaughter out of the room and both he and Marnie stopped short at the sight of Finn and Rachel standing close together and they were just about to share a kiss.

Marnie cleared her throat stealing the moment from Finn and Rachel. As much as she loved her cousin she was somewhat disappointed at the interruption but also relieved. When they were alone at school she chastised Finn for trying to kiss her and here she was leaning in to kiss her ex-boyfriend.

Without taking his eyes from Rachel Finn spoke "General, Marnie good to see you again." He then looked away from Rachel at Marnie "Where's this fiancé I've heard so much about except his name."

Marnie giggled looking at Rachel "He is going to be a bit late so you guys should get going and we will see you there. I Love You Granddad and you look extremely handsome."

"Thank you sweetie. Finn, Rachel, Leroy and Hiram are in the car waiting on us shall we" the general opened the door shooting a weary look at his eldest granddaughter. Rachel did the same as Finn placed his open palm on the small of her back leading her from the house.

* * *

About 10 minutes after her granddad, uncles, cousins and Finn left the doorbell rang. Marnie opened it to see her overly coiffed fiancé with a smile on his face. "Hello, my love" Jesse said.

"I knew you'd be late and it would be because of your hair." Marnie stated kissing him on the lips. "Come in, I have a favor to ask before we go to the banquet."

"Anything for you Mar, you know that." Jesse responded.

"Well, before you say that hear me out"

"Okay"

"When we get there I want you to go straight to Rachel and ask her to dance." Marnie smiled her Berry smile hoping he'd do what she wanted.

"Why? Marnie what are you up to? Who is Rachel's date?" Jesse spit rapid fire questions at his love and when he saw the look in her eyes he said "No, no freaking way. I am not doing it. Finn Hudson is bigger than me and he looks like he can kick my ass. Why are you asking me to do this?"

"J listen. Finn and Rachel broke up…she put her hand up to stop him from talking…, the reason is not important for tonight. Now Finn is back with the blonde bitch who used him last year, trying to convince him that Puckerman's baby was his. No one understands it and Granddad and Rachel say there is something more to it but won't elaborate. I just want him to see that he might have a little competition. If he goes for your throat, I'll step in and make sure he won't do any damage. He respects Granddad too much to really do anything that will cause embarrassment."

Jesse looked at her like she was speaking Hebrew. "Has Rachel ever told you about when she told him about the baby? He loves Mr. Shue like his dad, but that didn't stop him from rearranging Puckerman's face. I love you Marnie, I do but I don't know."

Marnie knew she'd have to go for the big guns. "J" She said seductively. "I'll do that thing with my tongue you love and let you do that thing you've been wanting to do."

"Ugh! Mar, that's not fair." He looked at her, looking at him and felt himself giving in. "Okay, but you stay close and have the General on alert."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are doing a great service really. No one should be subjected to the stubbornness that is Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson. We have to help them by basically throwing them off the roof before they get their shit together."

Jesse and Marnie kissed then she pulled away grabbing her clutch and keys heading out the door. She smiled to herself almost giddy at her plan. Finn Hudson is going to learn just how much her beautiful cousin is wanted.

* * *

Just as Judy was gathering her things to head out to the Medal of Honor dinner, when her daughter came bounding down the stairs. "Mom, I want to accompany you." Quinn was dressed in a sleek yellow dress that fell to the floor. Her hair was pulled back into a low bun.

"I don't know Quinn. This is for General James Berry, to receive a Medal of Honor for Desert Storm and saving Christopher Hudson on a mission before he died. I know that you and Finn are seeing each other but we both know his mother does not like you or has forgiven you for last year. And it is Rachel Berry's grandfather."

"Finn broke up with me. We were just using each other as shields. Rachel wouldn't give him space and Puck and Sam were giving me a hard time. Apparently Finn doesn't want space anymore so we broke up."

Judy regarded her daughter. She knew Quinn, but since the birth of her daughter she's been doing some strange and not okay things. "Quinn, what the hell were you thinking? Both of you? Do you know how much you have hurt that girl? Or do you not care? I know you've been having a hard time but Quinn. No I don't think it's a good idea for you to come to the dinner. Goodnight Quinn don't wait up."

Quinn stomped her foot as her mother dismissed her walking out the door. "Mother!" She shouted but Judy didn't turn back.

Quinn slammed the door and went in search of her phone. Finding it on her vanity, she dialed and waited for an answer. "Hello. How would you like to accompany me to the Medal of Honor dinner? I know but, I really need you. Please Uncle Nate."

"Ok Quinine, I'll be there within the hour." Nate hung up and smirked. This was the opening he needed. He'd be close to the General's family, but he'd stay just out of sight of James and Carole. And if the moment presented itself, he could put his plan into motion a bit premature. He was ready. He started to get excited at the thought of exacting his revenge earlier than planned.

He finished putting his dress uniform on and head out to pick up his niece. James Berry may be getting more than an award tonight.


	8. Man of Valor

Finn escorted Rachel into the ballroom of the Radisson in downtown Lima.  There were a ton of military people and their wives and families.  Rachel spotted Carole and Burt sitting at a table that had been assigned to the Berry and Hudson Families. 

The General was receiving two Medals of Valor, one for his time in Vietnam and the other for a mission that he completed with Finn’s father Chris during Desert Storm.  Christopher Hudson was also receiving a medal posthumously. 

Finn led Rachel over to their table pulling her chair out for her after they both greeted their families again.  Once Rachel was seated, Finn sat beside her.  He wanted to tell her about what had happened with Quinn earlier. He had briefed the General prior to him fetching Rachel for Finn.

“Hey Rach, Can I tell you something?”

“You can tell me anything Finn.” Rachel said without any of the snipe she had been using with Finn in the last few weeks.

Finn sighed “I wanted to tell you…Finn’s eyes drifted to the door…What the actual Fuck!” Rachel’s eyes went wide and looked where Finn was now glaring and saw that Jesse had entered the room. Seeing Marnie standing off talking to one of the Marine officers trying to keep herself in check.

“Finn must you use that language?” Rachel chastised. “What is it?”

“What the hell is Jesse St. Douchebag doing her? Did you invite him? I know I didn’t.”

Rachel internally snickered at the obvious jealousy Finn was displaying.  “No, I did not invite him.  His Uncle is a pretty big deal in Lima Banking so maybe that is how he was invited.” Finn still glaring at St. Douche until he felt Rachel place her small hand on his forearm. “Finn ignore him, what did you want to tell me?”

Finn relaxed and started again “I wanted to say that, I have to tell you, earlier, I need you to know…” Finn was stumbling and Rachel thought she’d throw him a bone.

“Finn relax it’s just me.”

The music was playing in the background as Finn gazed into the girl he loved eyes. She was so pretty, and tonight she looked beyond beautiful.  Just as he was going to tell Rachel he broke off things with Quinn a clearing throat interrupted him.

“Well, well, what do we have here?  Last I heard Finn you broke up with our tiny Diva and took up with the blonde preggers again.”

Rachel knew what was going to happen but she hadn’t thought Jesse would be so in your face.  She could feel Finn starting to tremble with rage.  She rubbed his arm to calm him but it did little to placate him.

“Not that it any of your business, but you have no idea what you are talking about. So if you could get the fuck out of my face I’d appreciate it.” Finn growled lowly as to not draw attention of the ballroom. 

“Now, Now Finn, that is no way to behave.  I know you are a caveman but seriously this is Lima high society.” Jesse gave back.

Finn abruptly stood leading Rachel to do the same. “Finn don’t, this is a great day for my grandfather and your dad. Jesse please just go.” Rachel pleaded.

Marnie was coming up to the three onetime teammates because she could see Finn about to lose his shit and she just wanted to ruffle his feathers not start a brawl. She hurried, then reached the little group linking her arm through Jesse’s. “Finn, I see you met my fiancé” Marnie sing-songed.

Finn looked at Marnie, then at Jesse who had a smug look on his face then back to Marnie. “Are you really that desperate that you’d used Rachel’s cousin, actually ask her to marry you just so you could get with Rachel. Marnie do you even know who this guy is? He over here trying to get with Rachel.”

Finn was on a rant, his voice starting to rise and it took everything inside Jesse and Marnie to not laugh. Rachel was the one to step in. She got into Finn’s eye line “Finn, Finn, baby look at me.” She ignored herself calling him baby.  “Finn, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that Marnie was engaged to Jesse, but we aren’t together, you really don’t have the right to get mad that the male species wants to talk to me.”

Finn glared at Rachel. “Yes I do.”

“Oh really!” Rachel was gonna go all Divalicous on Finn but he noticed his mother glaring at him and not in a good way so he took Rachel’s hand and pulled her toward the doors leading to the balcony that over looked the Ottawa River. Her protesting just under her breath as to not draw attention to them.

General Berry was talking to Grace Hudson, Christopher’s mother. They both had been watching their grandchildren with mirth in their eyes.  “James, I think we did it. Did you see my Finny when that boy with the overly done hair was talking to your angel girl.?”

“I sure did Gracie, I’m glad you called me.  Those two are even more stubborn than Chris and Carole were.”

“You are telling me. Like I told you when I called you, Finn came over and was pacing around like a caged animal after he broke up with Rachel. Saying he loved her but hated what she did.  I couldn’t get a word in because he wasn’t hearing me.  That boy is just like his father and my Finn, rest in peace.”

Finn was named for his paternal grandfather who died in a training accident. His troop was being sent to the Faulkin Islands.  Grace was devastated, but her son and her good friend Camilla helped her through.

“Well, Marnie’s plan seems to be working that boy is so in love with Rachel everyone here sees it.  He did tell me, when he picked up Rachel, that he ended things with that blonde girl.” James dared not speak Quinn’s name to Grace. She was not a fan. Grace had met Quinn once when Finn started dating her, before Glee and baby gate.  She pulled Finny to the side and told him “Finny, I love you so I’m going to be straight with you, that girl is not for you.”

Finn was shocked at his grandmother but he knew he couldn’t not disagree with her. “Ok Grans, I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Oh, James that is wonderful news.  I went over there when Kurt told Carole and she called me crying about what the hell that boy had been thinking.   He came in and I smacked him upsided the head.  I told him how disappointed I was in him.  He looked hurt and that’s when I knew something was up. He hates disappointing him mother and I. That is why I called you. You were the only one who could see that boy make sense. Thank you.”

“Anything for my angel girl and Chris’s son.  May I escort you to the table?” James held his arm for his co-conspirator and she gladly obliged.

“Finn Hudson, stop manhandling me. Who do you think you are? You can’t tell me what to do or who to see.  You are so frustrating. You only want me when you think you can’t have me.  I so tired….”

Finn released Rachel from his grasp to pace.  As he paced he listened to every word coming from her mouth. He knew she was absolutely right with everything except that part about only wanting her when he can’t have her.  He wanted her all the time.  Finn stopped pacing and looked at Rachel in her beautiful dress, looking like a Hebraic goddess and couldn’t help himself. He glided over to her grabbed her around the waist pulling her to his body, then pulled her by the back of her neck to his lips for a kiss that rocked the ground.

Rachel was surprised by Finn pulling her to his body.  He started kissing her and she let him. She melted into his embrace for a couple of minutes but then bells and whistles went off in her head and she pushed him away.

“Damn it Finn, I told you I would not be the other woman.  You are with Quinn despite the circumstance, we can’t do this.”

Finn stood there looking at Rachel’s well kissed lips and chuckled. “What is so funny Finn? Do I amuse you?”

“As a matter of fact you do.  You can try and deny it but you still want me.”

“OF COURSE I DO YOU IDIOT, I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU!”

“Well, that’s good because I still love you.”

“So what I am supposed to do with that Finn? The last two weeks you’ve been parading another girl in my face. Great way to show your love.”

“Rach, I know I fucked up. I am sorry. That shit show with Quinn is over.  I told her before I picked you up that we couldn’t fake date anymore.  I can’t help her. She need more than just me.  I was going to tell Puck tomorrow about the cutting.  Maybe he could be what she needs”

Rachel listened intently to Finn. “That’s good that you recognize what you were doing was wrong.  But how does that change the fact that I kissed Puck and you couldn’t forgive me?”

“Baby, I forgave you the minute you said it. I know you did it because you were hurting. But, I am a prideful person I’ve been told. I let my pride blind me. I am sorry and I do forgive you. Ca-Can you forgive me?”

Rachel regarded Finn. She did love him. He did hurt her. He was apologizing.  But the hurt was still so fresh. “I do love you Finn, I want to be with you but I can’t.  I know that if we just jump into something it won’t last. We need to heal from this.”

Finn sighed. What could he say to that.  She was right.  “I love you too.  And as much as I want to be with you, you are right.  I don’t want to break up and get back together then break up.   I want us to go the distance. I want the fairy tale as well.  Friends for now.  No seeing other people.”

Rachel knew he was referring to Jesse. She had to tell him what Marnie did. “Finn, I don’t want anyone else so friends and no seeing others.  Marnie is engaged to Jesse and I love that you think he would go to the trouble to make my cousin fall in love with him to get to me. I love that you think I’m worth that. But that is not what he is doing.  He really loves Marnie.  When he met her and found out she was my cousin he came clean right away. He didn’t hide anything from her. She had some of her football friend at UCLA give him a taste of his own medicine and she told him it was for what he did to me. So they really do love each other and are getting married.”

Finn smiled “You are worth it.” Finn’s stomach growled and they both laughed.

“Come on let’s get back. Dinner should be served soon and the ceremony is going to start. Are you or your mom going to speak on behalf of your dad?”

“We both are. I’ve been working on my speech since we found out about the Medal. Mom, Mr. Shue and Kurt have been helping me with it. It’s all mine, they helped with the structure and grammar.”

“I look forward to hearing it. By the way, did I tell you how dapper you look?”

“Thanks I think”

“Yes, Finn that’s a good thing.

The “Friends” reentered the ballroom to notice both of their families in a tizzy due to the pretty girl in a yellow dress standing with a man they knew all too well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you all yell at me. She may have forgiven him but she hasn’t forgotten. They may be friends but the hurt is still there and come on they are in public. In private our diva has a bunch of stuff to say to our Quarterback. Until next time.


	9. Men of the Hour

As Finn and Rachel walked back into the ballroom they spotted the evil blonde girl.Quinn was standing with her disappointed looking mother and a man they both knew well.Quinn was currently being yelled at by Carole.

 

“I told Finn not to bring you here.I did not want your negativity to ruin this night for our family. You have treated and still treat my son like a show dog.He does not have to obey your every command.I already told him you are not a welcome addition to his life.”

 

Judy jumped in to chastise her daughter.“Quinnie I made myself perfectly clear you were to stay home.” She then turned to her brother “Nathan how dare you show your face here and bring her.I am only here because I am on the board, if I didn’t have to be here I wouldn’t have.Carole and the General don’t need reminders of why Christopher is not here.”

 

Nathan had the courtesy to look guilty.“When Quinn called crying that her boyfriend was here with another girl and she wanted to salvage what they had, I couldn’t say no.You know I hate to see her cry.”

 

This is when Finn felt he should speak up. “Well first off I am not her boyfriend and secondly we were only pretending to date.I needed space from Rachel and she…Quinn tried to interrupt him but he continued…Ms. Fabray I caught Quinn trying to cut herself.” The adults gasped in horror.

 

“Quinn is this true?” Judy asked.

 

Putting on her innocent face expecting everyone to just forget everything she has done to hurt others she says, “No, he only saw what he wanted and I let him.  I needed to be away from Sam and Puck because they had been fighting over me all week...” Quinn confessed then caught what she said, knowing full well  she had no hope of convincing Finn to take it all (her and their fake relationship) back now,  she had really blown it and the fact her mother and Carole Hummel had heard every word of her selfish plans to again try and manipulate Finn, she was going to try and pass the blame on to the one person who really was the  innocent in this whole mess and was wracking her brain for revenge against the man-handed hobbit.

 

 

Finn was steaming mad. She played him again. Rachel was standing next to him and felt the rage coming from him. She reached to put her hand in his and he let her. She felt him physically relax. He looked down on her then back to Quinn.

 

“It’s like ground hog’s day with you isn’t Q, huh? Manipulate Finn, Finn finds out, Finn forgives you, repeat. You,… I-I Can’t even believe you. No I take that back I can believe you. You lied about a human being that was someone else’s responsibility breaking the heart of the only  one I wanted to be with, so it is not surprising that you’d let me believe you were hurting yourself. We are so done. Not even friends in the most basic explanation of the word, don’t ever speak to me again or anyone in my family and that includes Rachel Berry… especially Rachel, from this second until the end of time I’m wiping you from my memory and my life!”

 

Finn gripped Rachel’s tiny hand in his large one spun on his heel and led Rachel off to the other side of the room. Leaving Quinn standing there with her mouth open and tears threatening to fall.

 

“Nathan take Quinn home. I will be right behind you. We will be discussing this young lady. I thought after Beth that you have changed.But no, you still think you must be the perfect virginal popular girl. But Quinnie, that can’t be you anymore. You had a baby and you must deal with the consequences of that and giving her up for adoption, as well as the deplorable way you have treated Finn. Go home now. Nathan please.” Judy Fabray pleaded with her brother.

 

Nathan nodded and took Quinn by her elbow to lead her out of the ballroom. Both pausing to look back over their shoulders. Quinn, with a hateful glare contorting her pretty face observing Finn leading Rachel to the table, holding her chair as she sat. Nathan glared at the General, then at the small brunette Finn was being chivalrous to; The voice in his head replaying the words that had started this obsession with destroying General James Berry “Enjoy it while you can old man!” Smirking at the thought that   One day soon the General will lose everything.

 

Rachel regarded Finn as he held her chair out for her. On the outside, he looked calm but knowing him like she did she knew on the inside he was full on raging. Once both were seated she took his hand immediately and spoke softly, not wanting an audience.

 

“Finn, I know you are angry. But you are doing a fantastic job of hiding that. She’s gone now and we can enjoy the rest of this wonderful evening celebrating your dad and my grandfather. Please do not let her take this night from you.”

 

Finn looked at Rachel, watching her mouth move, but not hearing her words. Her mouth stopped then Finn let out a sigh and began talking.

 

“I’m the dumbest dude on the planet.”

 

Rachel shook her head as she tried to interrupt be he wouldn’t let her.

 

“No, don’t defend me, I am. I bought her bull again. When will I ever learn.She was manipulative and mean the first time I dated her. Yeah, this time was all bullshit but still...I believed we were friends even after everything with baby gate. But no, I let her make me look like the damn fool, I really am.”

 

Rachel detested when Finn would get so down on himself.

“Finn being trusting isn’t a bad thing.You did nothing wrong. Well not telling her mom about what you thought and she let you think was probably not the best, but don’t let her do this to you.You weren’t even really dating and it’s not like you were in love with her right?”

 

Finn smiled at Rachel because he could see the vulnerability in her eyes. “Not even when we were dating for real.”

 

“Okay so let it go and ignore her. That is what I’m going to do from now on. She need more help than either of us can or are willing to give her.”

 

“Right, you are so right Rachel.She doesn’t matter. We are rebuilding and tonight is about my dad and the General.Let’s enjoy that.” Finn replied.

 

Prior to dinner some Marine big wig got up and spoke about why they were there.Dinner was served and it was time for the medals to be presented.

 

General Gomez stood and took to the podium.“Ladies, Gentleman, Marines and honored guest, thank you for coming out tonight to celebrate two men who served their country and the Corp well.I give you General Berry.”

 

The ballroom clapped as the General advanced to the podium at the head of the ballroom. 

 

“Thank you. It is my honor and privilege to present this Marine Corp Medal of Honor to Christopher Finn Hudson.For his gallantry beyond the call of duty; He gave his life for the lives of his other Marines.He was just and brave and one of the best Marines I’ve ever had the honor of knowing and serving with.He followed orders and carried out missions as any good Marine would.But Christopher was not a blind follower.He was a leader and if needed he would question the order until he felt in his own conscious it was the right thing.He was a good man, husband and father.He left behind a wife, son and mother.He was taken too soon.So, I present this Medal of Honor to his widow and son.Carole Hudson-Hummel and Finn Christopher Hudson.”

 

Finn help his mother to the podium all the while shaking nervously because he was the one to give the speech.His mother usually spoke at these military functions because Finn was too young. But now here they were and it was his turn.

 

Shaking the General’s hand and accepting the medal. Finn peered down at the velvet lined box at the gold medal attached to blue ribbon. Instantly he felt a calm wash over him, he lifted his head and looked out and spotted his safe place. Rachel was looking at him like he was her everything again and he’d swear he saw an apparition of his father standing right behind her smiling that Hudson smile. He knew he could do this.

 

The cards he and Kurt so painstakingly worked on were left in the inside pocket of his suit jacket as he strode to the microphone.He took a deep breath and began to speak.

“Growing up I’d walk by the picture of my father, Christopher, every day.He was in his dress blues with an American Flag behind him.He died when I was two. I have vague memories and stories others tell me.All my life I have aspired to be the man he was.The man he wanted me to be.I know I’m only 17 and barely a man, but I do hope I make him proud.He fought bravely for his country.Ultimately sacrificing his life.My mom tells me that I am like him in many ways.”

 

“Not having my dad around had made me angry sometimes.Why do all the other boys get to have their dad and I don’t?There have been many times in the last two years I could have really used my dad’s advice.About girls, football and so many other things a teenaged boy needs his dad for.I am proud to say Christopher Hudson is my father.I just hope that I live up to the legacy he left.

 

I’d like to thank the Marine Corp, The United States Navy and General James Berry for honoring my dad tonight.I will cherish this Medal for always.”

 

General Gomez and General Berry presented the Medal to Finn and Carole.Then General Gomez spoke about General Berry.He was presented with his Medal and the rest of the night was spent dancing with his mom and more importantly with Rachel.


	10. Voice of Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last Time on Medal of Honor: The evil Quinn accompanied her equally evil uncle to the Ceremony awarding Finn’s Father and General Berry. Carole yelled, Judy was embarrassed and we finally found out Quinn was once again manipulating our Finn. He and Rachel enjoy the dinner and dancing after.  
> Honor their Tether! Remember Our Drummer!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ’m back with an update. I have regained the passion I had from my first story to my latest. I love Finchel and Monchele and I am once again committed to completing this story.  
> I’ve also took on another well written story by VioletBeauregarde “I Finally Know Where My Heart Is” I hope you all look for it. 
> 
> Next Month will be four years since the disease of Addiction took our big guy. Cory is missed very much. On his anniversary, please send positive thoughts to all those still battling with this disease. Thank you.

Chapter Ten: Voice of Reason

 

True to his word, Finn completely erased Quinn from his life. He didn’t speak to her in the hall, classes and he even told Mr. Shue to never pair him with her or he’d quit New Directions. Finn was tired of her trying to manipulate him. All it ever did was isolate him from and hurt Rachel.

 

On the Rachel front, things were going well since the reception. They were building their friendship which was the foundation of their connection.Rachel’s granddad The General decided to stay in town as Marnie’s wedding was coming up.Rachel had been busy with helping Kurt for her cousin. But they saw each other and hung out with each other as much as possible.

 

Today was the day they had set aside to talk about all their issues.Rachel’s dads and grandad were spending the day with Grannie Hudson so they had the Berry house to themselves.Rachel heard his truck and waited for the knock.

 

Finn pulled into the Berry’s driveway.He knew he and Rachel need to hash out their crap or they would not be able to move forward together.He pulled the keys from the ignition knowing his tiny girl was in that house, but the enormity of the task was keeping him rooted to the seat. Finally gathering his balls, he got out of the truck.

 

Rachel opened the door after Finn ultimately knocked. “Hey Finn, won’t you come in?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, thanks. How have you been?”Finn made conversation.

 

“Busy, sometimes I wonder if Marnie is the bride or Kurt. He is such a bridezilla.”.They both chuckled moving to the family room and their favorite little sofa.

 

“Yeah, I remember when mom and Burt got married he was probably the same, made even worse.”. Finn sat down watching Rachel sit beside him then turning putting her legs under her so she was facing him.

 

Rachel blew out a breath and started. “Okay, so do we want to pick a topic and go from there or just start at the beginning.”

 

“I’m fine with starting at the beginning.” Finn said softly.

 

“Finn, I know you have had feelings for me from the beginning. You felt it in that first Glee rehearsal. You felt it when you kissed me in the auditorium, yet you kept pushing me away. It hurt very much to know we had this connection and you were running from it.”

 

Finn closed his eyes to gather his thoughts, then spoke. “You are not wrong, but you have to understand, I have never experience feelings that intense with anyone. I was with Quinn, but I had you in my head. My friends, I use that word lightly, were all telling me how lucky I was to be dating her. Her head cheerleader and me the quarterback.She said it was like meant to be. I never really let myself think for myself back then. Then you stormed into my life and turned it upside down and I didn’t know how to react. But you, you aren’t exactly patient. I’m sorry I didn’t know how to react to those feels right away. I’m sorry you got hurt. I never meant for you to get hurt.”

 

Rachel listened intently and understood what he meant. “I guess I understand you not know how to react.But after that kiss in the auditorium I really thought we were starting something. Then I see with her the next day laughing like I didn’t even matter.”

 

“It was a shitty thing to do Rach, I know. But I had just cheated on my girlfriend I felt guilty. Even though I wasn’t in love with her it was a crappy thing to do.If I had known what was happening between her and Puck maybe my guilt and fear wouldn’t have stood in my way. I thought a lot that weekend after we kissed and I made up my mind I was going to break it off with Quinn.I came to school that Monday all prepared to do it, then she dropped the baby bomb.I’m going to be real honest right now, please don’t get mad.”

 

Rachel regarded him and nodded for him to continue.“When she told me about the baby, I questioned it. I asked her how because we never even had sex. She told me the hot tub thing and I knew it was right, but I let her lie to me.” Finn paused then gathered his courage to say what he’d been keeping to himself for two years. “I let her lie to me, so I didn’t have to deal with my feeling for you.” There he said it. He was afraid to look at her.

 

When he lifted his head, he could see the tears in her eyes along with questions and hurt. He wanted to cry himself.“You unimaginable bastard.” Is what she came out with. “All this time, you let everyone, think you were too stupid to realize that you couldn’t get pregnant that way. I don’t know what I’m angrier at, you hiding from me or you letting people call you stupid. Because you are not stupid Finn.”

“I am an asshole I know!” Finn exploded off the sofa to pace. “I was so scared, Rachel. I had everything, as I saw it back then. You showed me I was more, I could be more. I was always a go with the flow kind of guy. I was blissfully unaware of how far into the darkness I was. You with your big voice, chocolate eyes and humongous heart were like a flashlight going off trying to lead me out of the tunnel.And I was okay with being in that tunnel, I was doing fine, so I thought. Glee, Shue and you made me realize I wanted out of that darkness.”

 

Rachel thought to herself for a minute trying to absorb what he had said. She can’t be mad now because she had already given him forgiveness for that, it wouldn’t be fair. “Finn, I’m not going to get angry and throw you out because today is about us letting go of the hurt. Stepping up to heal the wounds we inflicted on each other. I am flatter that I had that massive of an effect on you and besides, I forgave you for that already. I’m never one to reverse forgiveness.”

 

Finn seemed to calm some but was bracing for the next thing.Rachel told him it was his turn to get out the stuff clouding his mind. Here we go he thought.“I mean I know I was a jerk for breaking up with you to go out with Brits and Sa…her, but I mean it was a day later and I was back to you, begging you to be with me. How the hell could you just throw me to curb for St. Douche? You met him in a record store 8 hours before I came back to you. It hurt to know you could just push me to the side after I poured my heart out to you. You were right, when I took that second look at you, you were the only one who really knew me.”

 

“I could push you away? Finn, you chose to stay with Quinn after she told you about the baby despite us both knowing how you felt about me. You chose Brits and the mattress. How could I be certain you wouldn’t drop me again?You said you liked me and wanted to be with me, but you still had sex with HER!” Rachel cried.

 

“I didn’t understand what the big deal was and why you were hung up who it was with.But I know now why it is so important. I didn’t choose her because I wanted her. Hell, most of the time I don’t even like her.Seeing you with the douche, knowing you were going to give it up to him, made me sick. She was there, she was willing. I thought after you’d have sex with him, there would be no hope for us. I thought I could move on but, Rachel. It was nothing like I thought it would be. It was a waste. I regret it so much. I felt empty and used. Dirty and disgusting. So, I lied. I didn’t want to hurt you. I should have explained that before.I hid again. I wanted to pretend it wasn’t happening so I avoided. I pushed you to Puck. I can say that with all honesty now. I’m so sorry. I love you, I always have but I haven’t always taken care of that love.”

 

Rachel looked at Finn, wondering how they got so screwed up. Right now, it felt impossible, insurmountable and she just didn’t know how to fix it. “I love you too, Finn. But what if it’s not enough?”

 

Finn felt his stomach turn. He felt the bile.She could be so stubborn. But so was he, if he had just forgiven her at the tree lot, they wouldn’t be here. “Rachel, love can be enough.If we love each other we must try.We owe it to ourselves and what could be, don’t you see?”

Rachel knew she was being stubborn, but he hurt her deeply.As much as she loved him, when he hurt her, it was a much deeper wound.But he was right, they were a part of something special. Always have been and can be again.“This is what we have to do, I lied about Jesse and you lied about Santana.We move on from that.You’ve already said you pushed me to Puck, but in truth, we did it together.I knew kissing him would hurt you and I’m sorry.I probably wanted to punish you for more than the Santana thing.I had forgiven you so easily for hurting me prior and I may have talked myself into a justification. I was wrong. I don’t ever want to hurt you like that again.It was immature and selfish.I should have made you listen and not jumped to conclusions in Ms. Pillsbury’s office.I should have stayed and we could have gotten over it. So, no more walking out.No more pushing each other away.We need to communicate so much better. We must do better.If we ever want to be a part of something special we must forgive and let go of the past and all our mistakes.”

 

“I’ll stand up for you like I should have been doing all along, even when we were just friends.You mean more to me than my reputation. I did a crap job at letting you know that.I’m going on record right now, I think you are the sexiest, most gorgeous girl, I have ever met.I want you like, all the time, it’s distracting.But I also respect you as a person. I’ll wait for you for however long it takes for you to be ready. I think you are awesome. You have a forgiving nature and such a big heart. You are passionate, driven and determined.You dream big enough for both of us.I want to learn from you. I want to dream as big as you do. I want to sing with you and even though I’m horrible at it, I want to dance with you.You are my other half. I’m not me when we aren’t together. I’m a horrible jackass. Being without you, feels like being in the darkness.I don’t want to be there.You are my bright shining star. You led me from the darkness and I can’t go back.”

 

They gazed upon each other not moving.Neither could tell you who moved first, but they met in the middle. Lips crashing, arms wrapping, soul searing kisses were exchanged.They both knew that they could conquer anything if they did it together.

 

While they reacquainted their mouths, they failed to see or hear what was just outside the window. Staring in with hatred in their eyes.Enjoy it while you can.Your day will come and The General will not be able to stop it.


	11. Voice of Unreason

Medal of Honor Chapter 11

 

_Honor Their Tether! Remember Our Drummer!_

* * *

 

 

Voice of Unreason

 

Nathan was hoping today would be the day he could scoop up Rachel and take her away from her grandfather.  He watched as the three Berry men left the house leaving Rachel alone.  He was about to leave his hiding spot, but a truck pulled up.  He spied who it was from the tree above.  Finn Hudson.  What was he doing there?  

 

Finn walked up to the door and then Rachel answered. Nathan quickly silenced the voices telling him to knock Finn out and take Rachel.  Nathan couldn’t do that to Finn.  He knew because of him Finn had to grow up without a dad.  He also knew that kidnapping Rachel was going to devastate Finn.  He didn’t want Finn to feel guilty on top of it, for not being able to stop him. Nathan resigned the fact that today would not be the day.

 

Leaving his perch, he soundlessly landed on the ground.  Nathan looked to see if he was spotted. He didn’t think he was, but he noticed someone rustling in the bushes in front of the Berry’s windows.  He saw the back of the head first.  Blonde hair falling at her shoulders. He should have known his niece wouldn’t let what happen at the ballroom stop her from her quest.  

 

He pulled her up and placed his hand over her mouth so she couldn’t scream.  He whispered in her ear. “Quinnie it’s uncle Nathan, don’t scream.”  Quinn shook her head and he removed his hand.  

 

“What are you doing here Uncle Nathan?” Quinn asked.

 

“I could ask you the same, Quinn.” Nathan replied.

 

“I don’t know.  I’m still so angry.  Finn won’t even look at me at school.  He blocked my number. His mom threw a fit when I went to his house.  Even Kurt won’t help me.  I must talk to Finn. I must make him understand that he doesn’t belong with that…that…HER! Quinn whined.

 

“Quinn, do you think that is what is best for you.  I know you think you like this boy.  But Quinn, I’ve seen them together.  Finn is happy with Rachel.”

 

“Uncle Nate, you are supposed to be on my side.  If I even have a shot at that crown I need Finn.  He’s the Quarterback and I am, was the head Cheerio.  We have to be together.” Quinn cried.

 

“Quinn, you don’t need him.  That Noah fellow, he seems to love you and you had a baby with him.” Nate tried to reason with his niece.   He could not let her get in the way of his plans.

 

Quinn looked at her uncle, then back at the window.  She could see Finn talking and the look in his eyes as he stared into Rachel’s made her even madder. He never looked at me that way.  Why, why does it have to be her? What is wrong with him?  “Puck can’t get me that crown.” She simply states pulling her gaze from the pair in the house.

  
Nate shook his head.  “Quinn, if he’s like his father a little bit, he will be stubborn as hell.  He won’t back down, won’t give in.  You have to let this go.”

 

“No, I don’t.  I will get him back, even if I have to remove that big nosed hobbit to do it.”

 

Nate was taken aback by what his niece had just said.  He was going to remove Rachel to hurt General Berry.  He thought if it could help his favorite niece that is even better.

 

“Quinn, do you trust me?” Nate queried.

 

“Yes, of course Uncle Nate.”

 

“Then believe me when I say, you will have him if you want him.  But not today.”

 

Quinn was watching her uncle as he stared through the window she had been.  There was something in his eyes she couldn’t place and it scared her a little bit. But he was her Uncle and he always had her best interest at heart.  “Okay, I’ll be patient.  But prom is in two months, I can’t wait to make my move for too long.”

 

Nate smirked and said “You won’t have to wait too much longer princess. I promise.”

 

Later, once he dropped Quinn off, Nate started to formulate his plans to kidnap Rachel. He had been watching her for quite awhile.  He knew her schedule.  He referred to his notes and he saw it.  He saw his opening.  She’d be alone he was sure, because the two appointments she was alone.  He’d grab her there.

 

Two weeks.  It had been two weeks and Rachel and Finn were still in this limbo.  Friends, but dating kinda not.  Why are they together if they don’t even know what to call it.  

 

Quinn would watch them in the halls.  Finn walked Rachel to all her classes, pick her up and dropped her off from school.  But they didn’t hold hands or kiss the way they had previous to Satangate.  But, there was something seriously going on.  

 

Finn was still acting as Quinn didn’t exist, he wouldn’t look at or talk to her.  It was a lesson in futility when he totally dressed her down one day in the hall.

 

_Quinn was following Finn down the hall to his next class.  She had been trying to get his attention for three days now and he proceeded to completely ignore her.“Finn, you are going to have to talk to me sooner or later, I’m not going away.”_

 

_Finn turned on her, fury in his eyes, shoulders square and jaw set.“No I DON’T!” he bellowed.“You are person non-gratia to me.You have used me for the last time.I’m not going to fall for your shit.I DON’T LOVE YOU, NEVER HAVE, NEVER WILL.I cheated on you with Rachel, when you were lying about your baby.That’s right.The night you went babysitting. I was at Rachel’s house.We rolled around her bed, making out all night.That should have been my first clue. I stayed out of obligation, not love.You were mean and bitchy.We were never suited for each other.That was obvious when you fucked my best friend.And despite all of that, I tried to be your friend and help you, only to be manipulated by you once again.I let my anger at what Rachel did, decide my actions. I was a coward and I was hiding behind you and you let me, knowing I still loved her. I will not be made a fool again by you, Quinn.Leave me alone!”_

 

_Quinn stood shocked.Finn never yelled at a girl, let alone her.She knows she screwed up, but they were using each other.She didn’t realize he was still mad about the baby.Then Quinn realized what he said.“You cheated on me, with that thing while I was pregnant with your baby!” Quinn went to slap him but he grabbed her wrist._

 

_“Pot meet kettle. AND IT WASN’T’ MY BABY!” Finn yelled and tossed her hand away from his face. “You don’t get to be mad.You did this, not me. I owned up to my mistakes maybe you should try it. LEAVE ME ALONE!”With that he was stalking off to his class and Quinn was left alone with half the school staring at her.She hung her head in embarrassment and went to the girl’s room._

 

That was two weeks ago, and here she stands looking at herself in the mirror in the girl’s restroom. She was dazed and didn’t hear the door open.She realized she wasn’t alone in the room when she saw her in the mirror.Quinn rolled her eyes as the brown eyed girl went into a stall.Quinn waited.

 

Rachel finished her business and left the stall to wash her hands and was stopped momentarily by the look on Quinn’s face.Rachel ignored her as best she could, making her way to the sinks.Rachel was hoping Quinn wasn’t going to say anything.She prayed to Moses, god or grilled chessus, that Quinn would leave her alone. No such luck.

 

“What’s going on with you and Finn?” She blurted out.

 

“None of your business.” Rachel responded calmly.

 

“It is my business, since you somehow convinced…” Quinn couldn’t even complete the sentence it was so ridiculous, even to herself.

 

Rachel regarded her ‘rival’, took a breath before speaking coolly.“You don’t get a say in what I do and who I do it with.You made it clear we are not friends, despite my best efforts.But I’m done with you Quinn.Think what you want, do what you want.I don’t care anymore.Finn is not your business.You manipulated him and are trying to continue that.For what a stupid crown you can go to any party store and buy.People aren’t going to change their minds about you because you have that crown.You are still mean, spiteful and you have an ugly soul.No amount of glitter is going to help you with your toxic personality.Just leave me alone.I want to do my time in this hell hole of a high school and leave for New York.And whatever is going on with Finn and I, well here is a little preview, we will continue it in New York.”With that Rachel stormed out of the restroom and right into the chest of the tall quarterback.

 

“Hey, baby what’s up?” Finn asked before looking down into her face. “What happened? Did someone do something to you?” Rachel gave Finn a small little smile and told him “Quinn, in there demanding to know what’s going on between us.I told her it’s none of her business.I know we agreed to keep us quiet for a little bit so we can get us situated before we let the hounds dissect our relationship.So, we are more secure.But I kind of put a dig at Quinn.”

 

“What do you mean?” Finn questioned while leading Rachel to the parking lot and his truck.

 

Once she was in her seat buckled up and Finn could say the same she answered him.“I told her I wanted to finish high school then go to New York.And then I said whatever was happening between you and I, we would continue in New York.I’m sorry, I know we haven’t talked about it but…”

 

Finn grabbed Rachel’s hand and kissed her palm.“Babe, there is nothing I want more than to go to New York with you.” Finn took a breath and went on. “That’s why after we got back from Regionals, my mom and I found a scholarship for kids of Wounded, Missing or Killed soldiers.I wrote an essay and mom paid for my application…” He paused, not trying to go for effect, just scared she might think he was going too fast. “I was awarded the full scholarship. During summer break, Ms. Pillsbury helped me with the ACT/SAT.I did well when we took it.Better than good. She says if I keep my grades at a B or better NYU will give me full admission.Right now, I have a provisional acceptance with a 29 ACT score. Despite us being broken up, I kept my grades up even got an A in American History and Civics. By the end of the year, I should have a full admission and won’t have to worry about college next year.”

 

Rachel was gazing at Finn, not believing what she heard. She knew her mouth had been gapping open since he said he got the scholarship.The rest was nonsensical to her. She heard but was understanding.Finn chuckled at the look on her face than added. “Well that’s if you’ll have me in your city.”

 

Rachel’s eyes shined with unshed tears and when he said if you’ll have me they started to fall. “If I’ll have you? Finn, oh my…Finn…you…I’m so…”Full sentences were alluding her.Somehow, they were in her driveway.‘When did we get here’ she thought.Finn cut the engine and unbuckled so he could turn to see her fully.

 

“I’m going to need you to use your words baby.”

 

Rachel giggled and was starting to understand in her brain what he just said.Her powers of speech returned so, she explained to Finn everything she was feeling.

 

“First, I’m so proud of you.Keeping up your grades doing phenomenally on the ACT, I have no words. Secondly, that scholarship is amazing, babe.I knew you could do it, even without knowing you were doing it.As for wanting you in my city, Finn NYC can be our city.We can explore our options, grow together. I hope you know, even at our lowest, I never gave up hope that we’d be here, or there one day.I’m more than proud of you.In two months, you’ll have early acceptance to NYU.I want that more than anything too.To move to NYC with you. To make music with you. To love you.”

 

Finn smiled with water eyes.“I was hoping you’d say that. I am happy I’ll have my stuff for college situated, that way we can focus on you getting into AMDA all next year.”

 

“Oh, Finn thank you.This is the best present I could ever get.We will have all year to decide where we are going to live and everything else.I love you Finn.”  
  
“I love you too, Rachel.”

 

Finn and Rachel sealed the pact with a kiss. Unbeknownst to either of them a pair of dark eyes were watching them.Rachel got out and Finn watched as she went in the door, to the safety of her home and dads. 

 

‘Soon’ Nate thought.

 

Meanwhile back at McKinley Quinn was still reeling from what the hobbit had said.Yeah right, Finn Hudson in NYC.He’s such a hillbilly he probably doesn’t even know where NYC is.Who does that man-hand stealing boyfriend think she is?Quinn was furious. She was tired of waiting for her uncle to do whatever he was going to do. Ugh! I always have to do everything myself.Can’t rely on anyone but yourself, she said. 

 

Quinn went home and came up with the only thing that would keep Finn here and get her that crown.I should have done this two weeks ago she mused to herself.Rachel Berry would not get in her way any longer.Now where did she put Azimo’s number.

* * *

 

Thanks for reading.If you liked it put a review on it.If you didn’t tell me how to make it better. 

 

 

 


	12. Where am I?

Medal of Honor Chapter 12

 

Where am I?

 

Medal of Honor Chapter 12

 

Where am I?

 

Rachel felt like she was in a can.  She could hear, what sounded like people, but they were far off.  She had a hard time opening her eyes.  Her head was heavy and hurt like heck.  Where was she? She wondered.  She tried to remember what happened before she woke up here but she was still very groggy.  She plunged back into the darkness when her eyes closed.

 

Rachel woke again, this time more coherent. She was able to focus. It looked like she was in a cabin of some sort.  There was a lock on the door in the room she was in. Her limbs were bound with duct tape. She was able to remember what had happened.

 

She had just left her dance class and was walking to her car when someone came up behind her and put a cloth over her mouth.  She passed out and the next thing she knows she wakes up in that room.  

 

Looking around Rachel starts to panic.  She is unable to stand and she’s laying on a mattress in the middle of the room.  Why would someone kidnap her? She is a no-one, her family isn’t rich.   Then she hears the woman’s voice.  She knows that voice, she’s been hearing it for the last three years.

 

“Please uncle Nate, I just want to make sure she knows I’m the one that took her away from Finn, then you can do whatever you want with her.”

 

“No, keep your voice down.  I don’t want her to recognize your voice. You need to keep your emotions out of this.”

 

“It’s hard, she’s been the bane of my existence for the last two years.  If she hadn’t interfered I’d still have Finn and my daughter. She stuck her nose where it didn’t belong.  Then her grandfather had to come in a spoil my second attempt with Finn.”

 

“Wasn’t that a bogus relationship? It doesn’t matter, I took her because her grandfather ruined my life and now I’m going to ruin his by taking his ‘Angel Girl’ and keeping her locked away.”

 

The voices moved farther away and Rachel fell back under the weight of darkness. She now knew her attacker had been Nathan and somehow Quinn is involved.Sure, her and Quinn were never going to be best friends but this is beyond what Rachel would ever imagine Quinn doing. 

 

After some time, Rachel heard the door open and in walks the blonde.She has a mask on her face, but Rachel already knows it’s her.

 

“Eat!” Quinn demands.

 

“Why are you doing this Quinn?”Rachel replied questioning her rival.Rachel sees her stiffen up and slowly turn around lifting the mask from her face.Actually, seeing Quinn is more than Rachel can bear.Her tears are now falling.

 

“I don’t understand Quinn. Why?”

 

Quinn just smirks at Rachel then laughs.“You know why. Don’t act all innocent.You took Finn from me not once but twice. But it’s like I told you I get Finn and you get…she pauses then chuckles…and you get dead.”

 

“You are going to kill me because I love Finn and he loves me?”

 

“Well no, I suppose not.I’m not going to kill you my uncle is, because your grandfather ruined his life or something.All I know is you’ll be here for a while. The whole time you are missing, I’ll be working my way back to being his friend. I will console Finn when they find your body and be his friend through his grief over losing you. I’ll make sure he knows how much I grieve for you, my teammate. Gag.He will see me in a new light. I’ll be there to swoop in and he’ll be so grateful he will want to love me again.” Quinn told her with conviction.

 

Rachel listened to Quinn unable to really comprehend what she was saying.Because it was so utterly ridiculous, Rachel couldn’t help but burst out in laughter.“Oh, my Moses, Quinn you are delusional.Finn is not going to fall for your crap anymore. He’s already cut you out of his life.Carole won’t let you within 2 miles of Finn.Kurt either.Neither is afraid to tell Finn about you and your manipulations anymore.I may die, but I’ll die knowing that Finn loved me and hated you.”Rachel spit out like venom.

 

Quinn was enraged. She charged at Rachel and slapped her across the face. “Shut up, shut up!” she screamed alerting her uncle something was amiss.Nathan ran to where he was holding Rachel and saw Quinn above her punching her repeatedly.

 

“QUINN!!! Stop it.”Nathan roared and pulled Quinn off of the tied-up Rachel.“What the hell are you doing? She’s seen your face.”

 

“Well then I guess you will just have to kill her.” Quinn screamed.

 

Nathan looked at his niece like he didn’t even know her.Sure, he wanted the General to suffer and he planned on keeping Rachel until he died, but to kill her.“Quinn, you need to get out of here and don’t comeback, I’ll take care of this.” He says pointing to Rachel.

 

With Quinn gone, Nathan could actually get back on track.He let her high school drama derail him a little bit. But his plan will be better now.He’d never hurt Rachel physically. But now that Quinn beat her face, it will be that much sweeter when he sends the General the fake ransom demands.He plans to set up ransom drops but never show then send pics of Rachel to her dads and grandfather every six or so months until the general dies. Knowing the General will never see Rachel again, is giving Nathan more pleasure than he ever thought possible.

 

X

 

Finn had texted Rachel six times. She should have been home by now.Her dance class ended hours ago. He grabbed his keys and took off for Rachel’s house. He got there and her dad’s cars were in the driveway. Finn rang the doorbell waiting for one of the dads to answer.

 

Leroy jumped up when the doorbell rang. Opening the door, he was greeted by a very worried looking Finn. “Finn, what a nice surprise. Rachel didn’t say you were coming over.”

 

“Rachel’s not here?” Finn inquired.

 

“No, she had dance class and then she was going shopping for prom.” Leroy said.

 

‘Sir I’ve texted her six times and she hasn’t responded. She always texts me even if it’s to say she’s fine. Something is wrong Mr. Berry I can feel it.” Finn was getting hysterical.

 

“OK, let me call her, did you do anything to upset her and that’s why she isn’t answering.” Leroy chuckled but quickly stopped when he saw Finn’s face and Rachel’s phone went straight to voicemail.“Angel Girl its daddy, gives us a call and let me know where you are and when you’ll be home.” Leroy left her a message then texted her the same. He turned to Finn “Finn do you have Tina’s number, she was meeting her at the mall.”

 

Finn whipped his phone out and started dialing.“Hello, Finn.”

 

“Tina, is Rachel with you?”

 

“No, she was supposed to meet me after dance class but, she never showed. I waited like an hour and a half. I figured she blew me off to go make out with you.” Tina let out amused.

 

“Tina, she’s not with me and she’s not at home. The dance studio is closed now, I drove over there before I came to her house. Something is wrong. She wouldn’t just not answer me and definitely not her dad.”

 

“What do you need Finn?” Tina asked worriedly.“Can you call everyone and let’s go look for her. Meet me at the dance studio.”

 

“You got it Finn.Are you okaying to drive? I can have Mike there in five minutes.” She offered,

 

“No Tina I’m not ok I’m scared shitless something has happened to Rachel, it’s not like her but I can’t afford to come apart I have to be strong and think clearly till Rachel is safe and sound in my arms where she should have been for the past 6 months, and now I’ve got her back it has to be forever”

 

A loud happy squeal from Tina at the news Finchel are once again. “Ok Finn we’ll see you in 10 at the dance studio.” Tina hung up on Finn and immediately dialed Mike giving him a short explanation of what she wanted him to do and to pass the message on to all their other glee mates, she hadn’t yet contacted.

 

Finn meanwhile was looking between the two men watching him with scared looks and gripping the other's hands tightly. “Please don’t worry Mr. Berrys we will find Rachel. But it might be a good idea if you stayed here in case she just got caught up somewhere looking at music books or sparkly microphones and ballet shoes, and call the police even though they probably won’ t do anything till she has been missing for 24 hours.”

 

“Of course, Finn thank you.”

 

Finn nodded at them a determined look on his face, and strode to the front door and after a quick call to his Mom to let her know where he was going and to call him and the Berry’s straight away if Rachel turned up at their house, he climbed into his truck and took off for the Dance studio. Walking around the perimeter of the building checking and looking for any clues.

 

Finding the number of the lady who ran the classes stuck on the window Finn called her but unfortunately Heidi couldn’t tell him anything as she had a phone call just as Rachel’s class was leaving.

 

Just as he hung up his cell Mike and Tina, Kurt and Blaine, Mercedes and a couple of other glee kids arrived, turning to them all Finn, even though he was shaking inside spoke his tone exuding leadership.

 

“Thanks, you guys for showing up now I know there is probably a very simple explanation for Rachel not answering her cell, but I’ve a gut feeling something is wrong so let’s start with what we know which isn’t a whole lot, Ok Rachel was supposed to meet Tina at the mall, at like 4:45 yeah?”  He looked at Tina who just nodded

 

“Ok well she never arrived and hasn’t answered any of my texts or ones her Dad sent either. So, we should start by asking other people along this street if they saw anything does everyone have a photo of Rachel?”

 

At the negative head shakes Finn smiled a little realizing he would be the only one to have a collection of Rachel photos on his cell. “Ok then well I’ll send you one to show people.” he then spent a couple of minutes scrolling through his cell, stopping every few seconds to just look at them before quickly choosing one of his bright smiling girlfriend dressed in her normal dance outfit of tank-top and yoga pants, then clicking a few buttons, sending the picture to everyone standing in-front of him.

 

Telling his friends to call asap the minute they got some news he took off for his truck and slowly drove around the block and instantly spotting Rachel’s Pink Mini Cooper, parked to the side of a little alley way pulling next to her car, he jumped out and ran over, disappointed that nothing looked out of place. His head dropped in worry but then then something caught his eye just under the front wheel, at first, he just thought it was a bit of trash blown about by the wind but when the words TODAY, DANCE CLASS 3:45 THURS, ALONE! Caught his eye he reached down to pick up the piece of paper from what looked like a notebook. The writing looked vaguely familiar. But he couldn’t remember where he’d seen it before, and obviously wasn’t positive it had anything to do with his girlfriend's disappearance though it did seem to coincide with what was going on, he just folded it up carefully and put it in his wallet. Finn climbed back in his truck and called the Berry house to ask if they’d heard anything telling them he had found Rachel’s car, and that he would be back soon. It was getting dark now and late so with a heavy heart he sent a group text asking if anyone had found anything and thanked them for their help, but would see them at school tomorrow.

 

Pulling into the Berry’s driveway 15 minutes later, he hadn’t even turned off the ignition when he saw the front door opened by the tall distinguished form of Rachel’s Grandfather, General Berry. The look of worry on his dark face somehow made him look about 10 years older as the older man hugged him. Finn felt… well he couldn’t name it just lost.

 

“General Berry, it is good to see you Sir.”

 

“And you my boy, my son tells me you found my Angel Girl’s car?” he was guiding Finn into the living room as he spoke.

Finn noticed Hiram and Leroy taking it in turns to pace the room their worried faces echoing each other

 

“Um yes sir… it was still parked just around the corner from the dance studio in a little side street, it looked normal… but I did find this note, not sure if it has anything to do with Rachel though… Finn handed over the page he found and in a flash the General’s face changed from the sad worried one and took on a hard look as did his body. “This looks like a ambush.Someone must have told whoever took her where she’d be and luckily, they dropped this note.Maybe now the police will do something.Good Job Finn.”

 

Finn didn’t feel like he’d done a good job.Rachel was still out there somewhere scared and alone, wondering if he was going to save her.“We have to do something!” Finn exclaimed.Just as Hiram was going to say something there was a knock on the door.LeRoy answered the door and two detectives from Lima Police Department Entered.

 

“I’m Det. Laura Ingram and this is my partner Det. Danny Regan. I understand from what the patrol officer said that you believe your daughter is missing and that something may have happened to her?”All four of the men that loved Rachel the most shook their heads in the affirmative.Det. Regan asked, “Are you sure she didn’t run away or just went somewhere to be alone?”

 

Finn jumped up “This is garbage.Rachel doesn’t do things like this.She always tells her dads where she’ll be and she doesn’t not answer my calls.Even when we were broken up and I’d call her, she’d answer.She doesn’t do this!She wouldn’t have run away either.”Finn was borderline hysterical.

 

“I have to ask the questions Finn, is it?” Det. Regan.Finn nodded.“I take it she is your girlfriend?” 

 

Finn sized up the detective and quantified his assumption “She my everything. My world.”

 

The detectives asked the four men question after question trying to ascertain who would want to take Rachel.Had she any enemies? Had someone been making her uncomfortable.They asked about ex’s they should be aware of. Finn didn’t think Jesse would do this because despite being an asshat, Jesse cared about Rachel.

 

They were finishing up with the note Finn found when the doorbell rang again.Finn answered this time because the Berry men were understandably upset.Opening the door, he stared at the face of his best friend. “Puck?” 

 

“Mike just told me Berry was missing, I came as soon as I could.What’s happening, did you find anything.” Puck was walking with Finn into the room the men and the police were.The note was sitting on the table and Puck spied it and stopped in his tracks.Finn was still talking and looked back at Puck.

 

“What’s wrong Puck?”

 

“Noah?” Hiram queried.

 

Puck bent down and picked up the notebook page with Rachel’s dance class information.“Quinn wrote this.I’d know this handwriting anywhere.She would write me lists when she was craving shit when she was pregnant with Beth.”

 

Finn took the note from Puck and inspected it closer.He knew he recognized it.She had written him note once and he remembers a paper she had written he turned in for her so she wouldn’t be late to Cheerio’s practice.“What the hell?”

 

The Detectives took down Quinn’s information and told the men to stay put they would go question Quinn.Once they were gone the General spoke.“Do you think Quinn set Rachel up?”

 

Finn and Puck both shook their heads telling the General they believed that she was capable of something like this.

“She didn’t do it alone.” Finn said.

 

“No, you are right. She had help.” The General thought hard and uttered one name. “Nathaniel McKenzie.”

 

Finn jolted upright and was out the door before anyone could stop him.Puck told the Berry men he’d have Finn’s back and wouldn’t let him do anything stupid.

LeRoy called Detective Ingram and relayed what they concluded that Nathaniel with the help of Quinn had something to do with Rachel’s disappearance.

 

Quinn had heard from Mercedes that Finn and the glee club were out looking for Rachel and that her dads had called the police.She got into her car and headed to where her uncle was holding Rachel.

 

Finn and Puck pulled up to Quinn’s house in time to see her leaving.“She’s leaving. I’m following her.” Finn said jamming on the gas pedal.He stayed back just enough that she wasn’t able to spot them.She weaved through down town Lima.Puck saw the Detectives going the opposite direction probably on their way to Quinn’s to question her.

 

“Finn, don’t you think we ought to let the cops handle this?” Puck tried to persuade Finn. 

 

“Fuck no, they don’t care.They thought she ran away and we were making a bigger deal than it needed to be. I know Quinn knows something and I’m following her until I can make her tell me where Rachel is.”

 

Puck shrugged and accepted Finn was doing this with or without his help.They were best friends and he’d stay with him doing whatever it took to get Rachel back into Finn’s arms.They saw Quinn pull onto this back road leading out of Lima toward the Lake.

 

“Quinn told me her mom’s family owned 15 acres near the lake.” Puck communicated to Finn while keeping an eye ahead of them.

 

“She has to be there.I can feel it she’s somewhere and she’s hurt. Not bad, but still hurt.We have to get to her Puck. I can’t lose her. Not like this and not to her.” Finn said with tears in his voice.

 

“Okay man, let’s do this.”Puck was going to help Finn and everything else be damned.Puck did send a quick text to Mike letting him know about the land and please inform Rachel and Finn’s parents and his ma. 

 

Quinn pulled on the side of the cabin and her uncle came out. “I told you to stay away.” He yelled.

 

“Uncle Nate, they called the police. They are eventually going to come and talk to me.What if they found my note that you dropped?The will know Uncle Nate.I think we should just get rid of her.Take her to the lake and throw her in.They’ll never find a body.”

 

Nate was pacing back and forth listening to his niece.This has gotten way off track.He didn’t want to kill Rachel he wanted to torcher General Berry for his recommendation of a dishonorable discharge.He didn’t mean to fall asleep, letting the insurgents pass him.Chris was his friend.When he heard the gun fire he ran towards it, using his weapon to take some of them out.But it was too late, Chris and a few others were either gone or severely wounded. After the investigation, he was sent to the brig for dereliction of duty.The panel of the tribunal found that he was solely responsible because he fell asleep.They gave him a dishonorable and 3 years at Leavenworth.If it weren’t for General Berry pushing for him to be discharged he could have resigned and his status wouldn’t be one of shame.

 

Finn and Puck could see Quinn and her uncle in conversation on the far side of the cabin.Finn motioned for Puck to go around the front and he’d go through the back.Finn and Puck fist pumped and broke their own way.Finn crept to the back door finding it opened.He carefully and cautiously opened the door slipping in unnoticed by the two on the side of the cabin.Finn was in the kitchen, he was silent in his search.The first room he came to was the bathroom.Rachel wasn’t there.He felt her before he heard her.She was moaning from pain.He need to find her.The next room looked like it was locked but with slight force he was able to open the door with little noise. His breath caught in his throat.There she was, his beautiful girl.Face swollen and bruised.Her eyes closed.He knew when she knew he was there when she opened her one eye with a tear rolling down her cheek.

 

Rachel felt Finn the moment the door gave way.She didn’t think it possible that she could feel such relief.“Finn.” She whispered.

 

Finn ran to her untying the restraints and he pulled her to him.Rachel was in a full out cry when Puck came through the door. “Man, we got to go they are coming.”

 

Finn nodded in agreement then turned to Rachel. “Rach, baby listen you’ve got to pull it together until we get out of here.I need you to be strong for me.”

 

Rachel just stopped crying and shook her head in understanding.Then, the three of them heard it, glass shattering and a small explosion.Finn put his body over Rachel’s to protect her.Puck was heading out the door. “Shit, he threw a Molotov Cocktail through the window the kitchen is on fire.This way.”Puck led Finn and Rachel the way he came in.

Outside Quinn and Nate just threw the small Molotov cocktail through the window when Quinn noticed two guys in the house.“Oh, no…she screamed…Finn!!.” Quinn ran toward the cabin while Nate tried to stop her with no success.

 

“Quinn get back here. QUINN!”

 

Quinn ran in through the back door forgetting that is where her uncle had thrown the firebomb.As soon as she made it through her clothes caught fire. She started to panic. “Puck!” she yelled but was not heard over the breaking of glass in the cabinets. The entire kitchen was engulfed in flames and Quinn was unable to get back to the door.

 

Finn, Rachel and Puck made it to the front door when Nate came around and stopped in his tracks.“Fuck” he murmured.

“What the hell are you doing?You can’t take her. I can’t go back to prison.” Nate was panic-stricken.He pulled his side arm out and pointed it at the three teenagers.

 

“Nate, what are you doing?Put the gun down.It doesn’t have to be this way.” Finn tried reasoning with him to no avail. 

 

“Shut up.I just wanted the General to suffer like I suffered.He took my life away and I wanted to take what he loved the most.I can’t let you go.I’m sorry, but the General needs to pay.”Nate aimed at Puck first squeezing the trigger. Puck was able to move quickly enough that the bullet caught him in the thigh.Puck dropped to the ground rolling around in pain.

 

Finn and Rachel watched in horror as Nate shot Puck. Finn moved them quickly to the other side of the house making Nate chase them.Nate was hot on their heels when through the window they saw Quinn screaming in agony from the fire overwhelming her body.They couldn’t do anything to help her, Finn had to save Rachel.They made it to the edge of the clearing where Finn and Puck had parked the car and heard a gunshot.They both froze waiting for the pain of a bullet entering their bodies, but instead looked up and there behind Finn’s car stood General Berry with his AR15.He shot Nate.Rachel ran to her grandfather and Finn turned saw Nate motionless then jetted to see if he could get Quinn out of the burning house.

 

“Finn!!!” Rachel roared after him being stopped by her grandfather.That’s when she heard the sirens and saw the lights.

“Rachel, you have to stay here.Finn will be okay. I promise.Where’s Noah?”

 

Rachel was bawling and kept her eyes searching for her love. ‘Please keep him safe.’ She thought to herself.

 

Finn rushed up to the cabin when he saw her collapsed at the back door. Finn hurried and pulled her further away from the fiery cabin.He could do no more for her. The ambulance was here, he saw it.He then sprinted to the front where his best friend lay in a pool of his own blood. “Puck!Fuck.Are you alright?” He was getting more scared as he approached his motionless friend.

 

Finally, when right upon Puck, he turned to Finn “It hurts like a motherfucker, but it went through and through.I don’t think it hit anything to important. I’ll have a hell of a scar.Chicks dig scars right?” Finn crumpled down to the grass and the tears started flowing.

 

“I didn’t think this would happen when we got in the car to follow Quinn.I thought she knew something. I had no idea she was involved in it to this degree.You got shot. Did you see Rachel’s face? They beat her bad.Quinn is laying in the back of the house with burns all over her face man.It’s not good.”

 

“Finn, you were going off your gut. None of this is your fault.We did good.We saved Rachel.That’s what matters.”Finn listened and knew no matter what anyone said he’d still feel like he should have done it different. Finn wiped his tears and stood helping Puck to his feet.

  
“Let’s get you looked at.”Finn said.Puck hobbled while Finn held him up.They saw Quinn being loaded in the ambulance and the two Detectives came up to them.“You could have gotten killed.I should haul you in for interfering with a police investigation.”

 

“I’m sorry sir, well I’m not sorry I saved Rachel but…” Finn didn’t finish because there wasn’t anything else to say. Rachel was waiting on him. Once he saw Puck into the ambulance he jogged over to where his beautiful girl was being treated.   
“Finn!” Rachel exclaimed.“I’m so glad you’re okay. Oh, baby don’t ever run away from me again.I was so worried when you went to the cabin, what were you thinking Finn Christopher Hudson? Don’t… she was interrupted by his lips on hers.

 

“I’m sorry I worried you.I had to try and get Quinn. Despite everything she still is a person.I couldn’t let her die in there. And Puck.”

 

“I forgive you.You wouldn’t be you and I wouldn’t love you if you didn’t do everything you could to save someone.I love you.”

 

“I Love you too, Rachel.Don’t ever leave me again.” Finn expressed to her and pulled her into him to capture her lips once more.

* * *

 

 

 

For all intense and purposes this story is complete. I might be persuaded to give you a Finchely Epilogue if you want one.I’ll see how many reviews I get and so on and so forth.In Finchel, we trust.Until next Time

Honor their Tether! Remember our Drummer!


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